Dearly Beloved
by Eiko Makimachi
Summary: Kuja lost his memories and, without his horrible past, he will deal with the worst thing of the word: being alone. Will Zidane be able to help his brother? Rated T for shounenai and yaoi implications, some violence and language.
1. Default Chapter

Dearly Beloved.

By Eiko Makimachi

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Dearly Beloved © Kingdom Hearts Squaresoft and Disney Interactive 2002.

Final Fantasy IX © Squaresoft 2000.

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Melodies of Life © Nobuo Uematsu.

Warning: This is a yaoi/slash story. If you think you are not mature enough for this kind of thing, please use the back button to return to main page.

Chapter 1: My memories.

"Kuja, wake up!!! Kuja!!! Don't die!!!"

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Zidane's voice... Zidane...

"Kuja!!!"

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My mind... is vanishing... Farewell Zidane... My memories will be part of the sky.

Zidane looked to his brother's peaceful face. He laid his head on Kuja's chest. His brother wasn't dead, but was unconscious. Zidane took a bottle of elixir and forced Kuja to drunk it all. The genome gasped and after some minutes he opened his amethyst eyes.

"Kuja... are you okay?"

The silver haired genome looked confused to Zidane. His eyes weren't anymore full of angry, but with an innocent air. Yet it was a cold, sad looking.

"Who are you..." asked Kuja. Zidane couldn't believe on what he had just heard.

"It's me, Kuja, Zidane!"

Kuja looked to the roots of Lifa Tree. "Where am I? Is your name Zidane?"

The blond genome was worried. Kuja was acting strange. "Kuja...?"

"My name... is Kuja...?"

Zidane felt his eyes getting wet. Kuja didn't deserve to die, but... this was worse. The thief placed his hands on Kuja's shoulders. _You've lost your mind, don't Kuja?_

"Your name is Kuja. Mine is Zidane. We are at Lifa Tree but we have to get out of here, it's dangerous!"

Grabbing Kuja's right arm, Zidane fell off the platform where he had found Kuja unconscious. He was badly hurt, but he and his brother were alive, after all. The Lifa Tree's roots were furious, but they survived the pain of being hit by them.

Six months after the fight against Necron, Queen Garnet Til Alexandros the 17th was still waiting for the one who once caught her heart. "Zidane promised me." She kept saying it.

Everyone was worried with her health. She hadn't been happy for a long time, even with Beatrix and Steiner trying their best to cheer up. They tried their last hope. Without Garnet's knowledge, the two soldiers invited all the Tantalus to make a play.

The Tantalus came to the Alexandria Castle two months then. For Steiner's surprise, there was someone in Zidane's place, hidden by a large piece of brown cloth.

"Well, if it's for the princess, let's perform "I want to be your canary." It's our most famous play." Said Marcus. Beatrix nodded. "Yeah, it will be the best."

Steiner pointed to the mysterious guy under the cloth. "Who is this man? Is he a new guy?"

Blank looked to the man. "Yeah, he is at Zidane's place now."

Beatrix looked to all the crew. "So, it's done. You all have to be in front of the castle at 6 o'clock. We will pay the play after the performance."

Ruby sigh. "Oh, ye don't need to pay us. It's fur the queen."

The two soldiers looked surprised to the gang. "Really?"

"Of course!!! See you next week!!!" said Baku, leader of Tantalus. Then, the group left the castle.

It was a warm night, like when she met Zidane for the first time. Garnet, wearing a white dress, looked sadly from her place to the Tantalus Prima Vista's stage. _Oh, Zidane, how I wish that you were there in the stage, smiling to me..._

Steiner and Beatrix stood on each side of Garnet's sit. "Our majesty, the play will start."

Everyone they met on their journey, Vivi, who was with his children, Freya and Fratley, Amarant, Lani, Eiko and Regent Cid with his wife, Hilda, was there. Even Quina came to see the play.

The play started. All the scenes were beautiful, specially when Cornelia, who was Ruby, appeared for the first time. A tear fell from Garnet's eyes. It_ was during this play that I met Zidane on the castle._

Then, the most beautiful scene, where Marcus appear, waiting for his beloved princess Cornelia, begun. But, for Garnet's surprise, it wasn't Marcus who was doing the performance. It was a strange man wearing a brown cap with his face hidden by the cloth. Suddenly, something really strange happened. The summoner looked astonished to the stage.

The hooded man took the cloth out, allowing everyone to see his face. His blue eyes were looking to the castle. "Bring my Dagger back to me!!!" he shouted.

Garnet stood up and run to the door. Beatrix and Steiner were in front of her. She looked to the two, wishing to them open the door. Both smiled and opened the door to her. Garnet resumed to run to the stage, trying to find a way between all the people who came to see the play. During the running, her pendant (necklace) escaped from her neck and fell on the floor. She looked to pendant, but then she decided. Zidane was more important than a jewel.

Zidane looked to the crew and saw something white coming to his direction. Garnet went out of the people and fell on Zidane's arms, crying. Zidane smiled and hugged her. "I promised you, didn't I?"

Garnet smiled to Zidane. "How did you found me?"

"Well, I sung your song." Garnet placed her head on Zidane's chest.

"Our song, silly..."

Everyone clapped. Vivi and his kids were jumping and shouting. Beatrix and Steiner raised the Save the Queen over their heads. Freya and Fratley were clapping and smiling to the couple. Eiko were shouting, while Cid and Hilda were crying and smiling.

Garnet kissed Zidane. The genome placed his left hand on Garnet's right shoulder. "I'm back..." But, for everyone surprise, they heard a sweet, low voice singing a song behind.

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Alone for a while I've been searching through the dark,

for traces of the love you left inside my lonely heart.

To weave by picking up the pieces that remain.

Melodies of Life - Love's lost refrain.

Our paths they did cross, though I cannot say just why,

we met, we laughed, we held on fast, and then we said goodbye,

and who'll hear the echoes of stories never told?

Let them ring out loud until they unfold.

In my dearest memories, I see you reaching out to me.

Though you're gone, I still believe that you can call out my name.

A voice from the past, joining yours and mine.

Adding up the layers of harmony.

And so it goes, on and on.

Melodies of Life. To the sky beyond the flying birds - forever and beyond.

So far and away, see the birds as it flies by,

gliding through the shadows of the clouds up on the sky...

I've laid my memories, and dreams upon those wings.

Leave them now and see what tomorrow brings.

In your dearest memories, do you remember loving me?

Was it fate that brought us close and now leaves us behind?

A voice from the past, joining yours and mine.

Adding up the layers of harmony.

And so it goes, on and on.

Melodies of Life. To the sky beyond the flying birds - forever and beyond.

If I should leave this lonely world behind.

Your voice will still remember our melody.

Now I know we'll carry on.

Melodies of Life. Come circle round and grow deep in our hearts, as long as we remember.

Garnet looked to the right side. Near the curtains, a tall, yet shy creature was smiling to the couple and singing her melody. Silver hair was flying with the wind and a childish face was looking to everyone. The man was wearing a kind of white dress or something like that with long sleeves. Under the dress, the person was wearing white pants and was barefoot.

The queen pointed scared to the man. "What... is... he... doing... here?!" Zidane looked seriously to her brown eyes.

"I'm sorry, Dagger, but I had to bring him with me..."

"I don't want to know why is he here!!! He's insane!!! He killed millions of people without mercy!!!"

The man walked to where Zidane and Garnet were. Everyone gasped when they saw the so familiar face from the times when everything was under destruction and death. However, the face was different, it wasn't egocentric and full of angry. It was peaceful, innocent, yet cold.

Kuja looked to them. "What happened, Zidane?"

Garnet was very upset. Freya, Beatrix, Steiner, everyone who once fought against the angel of death went to the stage. Zidane looked around. Why can't anyone understand his brother? Why?

The girl looked to Kuja angry. Kuja didn't understand. Why everyone was upset with him? Did he do something in the past that he couldn't remember? "Zidane... why is everyone angry with me..." Then, a white hand slapped his face. Kuja put his hand on the cheek.

Garnet slapped him. "How can you be so cynic? You are a murderer! A egocentric man who wanted to destroy everything and killed many people!!!" But then, Zidane slapped Garnet's face. She looked surprised to the genome, like everyone. "Zidane?"

Zidane was crying. Crying for his brother. "Dagger, I know that he brought many bad things to everyone, but he doesn't deserve it!!!"

Freya run to the trio. "Zidane!!! Why do you defend this... thing!!!" Kuja looked shocked. A tear fell from his eyes.

"You know how hard is to be orphan with a creator who hurts you because he never liked you?! Kuja had an horrible past!!! If I was him, I would be insane and try to destroy everything as well!!! He has always been alone, a single person between emotionless dolls!!!"

Garnet started to cry too. "I still don't understand you!!!"

Zidane looked to Garnet. "I gonna resume it. Kuja have been used by Garland since he was a kid and now he lost his memories, okay?! You're all happy now?!"

Kuja placed a hand on Zidane's shoulder. "Stop, Zidane..." The blond genome looked to his older brother astonished.

"I can't remember anything... but, but..." Kuja let some tears fell from his icy blue, purple eyes. "I think I had done a lot of bad things, hadn't I? So, don't yell at her. After all, she's the most important person of your life..." Then, the silvered haired genome smiled a little and went to the Prima Vista. Zidane looked to his brother sadly. Then, to Garnet.

"Garnet, I thought that at least you would understand him, but I guess I was wrong..." Then, he left everyone behind.

Garnet fell on her knees, crying. All her friends, plus her uncle Cid and Hilda, went to console her.

"He was so rude and mean with you!" said Eiko.

"Who does he think he is?" said Beatrix.

Garnet didn't answer. She was too busy, thinking.

Zidane... I'm sorry... I'd been too rude with Kuja...

Meanwhile, in the Prima Vista, Zidane found Kuja in his room, looking down. Zidane sat next to him.

Kuja looked to Zidane. "Don't worry. I'm gonna explain everything to them." The blond thief said.

The other genome looked sad to Zidane. "Zidane, please, tell me my past..."

Author's note: Not yaoi yet. Perhaps shounen-ai, but definitely not yaoi. Don't send me reviews saying that yaoi is icky and it's too dramatic. I warned that it would be yaoi, didn't I? And this is a drama/romantic story, so don't flame!!! I felt sorry for Kuja in the end of the game, so I decided to do a story for him (well, another. The other one was too AU for my taste.). I love Melodies of Life. It's one of my favorites songs of Final Fantasy's series.

Eiko Makimachi - May 4th 2003.

Edit (January 17th 2005): I've corrected some mistakes I'd detected. Please, warn me if you find any other mistakes.


	2. Beloved Angel

Dearly Beloved.

By Eiko Makimachi

_Dearly Beloved_ © Kingdom Hearts Squaresoft and Disney Interactive 2002.

Final Fantasy IX © Squaresoft 2000.

_Hikari_ (Light) © Utada Hikaru 2002.

American version _Simple and Clean_ © Squaresoft and Disney Interactive 2002.

Warning: This is a yaoi/slash story. If you think you are not mature enough for this kind of thing, please use the back button to return to main page.

Chapter 2: Koishii Tenchi (Beloved angel).

Zidane didn't know what to say. If Kuja remembered his past, he would probably go insane again. But what would he tell to him? His own brother asked and wanted to know about his past. Before anything, the blond genome looked to Kuja.

"Why did you come out?"

Kuja looked a little bit scared to Zidane. "It... wasn't my fault... they told me to sing the song because they didn't know the lyric..." He blinked his cold sad eyes to Zidane, waiting for an answer.

Zidane never repaired on it, but Kuja looked so... cute. "Well, I taught only for you..." The skin was so pale and the now childish eyes gave to the silver genome a pretty look.

"Are... you angry...? I... I am very sorry!!! Please forgive me." His brother said, taking Zidane's hands. Zidane felt the smooth skin touching his gloved hands. Kuja's head was down, with his eyes closed. The blond genome touched Kuja's silver hair .

"No, I am not angry." Kuja smiled a bit and stood up.

"So, tell me about my past."

_Shit, why he has to be so pretty? What, Zidane, get your mind sane!!! He is your brother. You love Dagger. But she hurted Kuja's feelings..._

Zidane was very confused now. "Kuja... can I tell you another time?"

Kuja blinked a little. "Okay... So, you tell me tomorrow night."

The Tantalus would stay in Alexandria for two days. So Zidane decided to go with Kuja to the castle and explain everything to everyone. All his friends, or at least who he thought to be his friend, were at Alexandria Castle for holiday, so it was the best time for it.

Since Kuja's previous outfit (the one with a thong, half skirt, long boots and an armor with long white sleeves) was completely destroyed, Zidane gave him one of this mages clothes, which, in his opinion, looked like a dress. But in Kuja it fitted perfectly. So Kuja had only this clothe. But Zidane changed his jeans for a blue pair of pants and changed his dirty, wet boots for others.

The two genomes went to the castle. The Alexandria guards, all women, looked to Kuja, then to Zidane. One of them, with blond long hair, who had gone to confirm their presence to the queen, returned to the entrance after ten. "Her majesty is waiting for you. Please, follow me."

Garnet and everyone were at the dinning room, waiting for Zidane. When he showed up with Kuja, everyone looked angrily to their side. "Hey, what are you looking?"

Steiner was the first to stand up. "You monkey-tailed boy!!! You made the queen cry!!!" He picked Zidane by the collar. Kuja looked to the rusty soldier. _This must be Steiner, the one who Zidane told me as the Captain of the Pluto Knights. Geez, he is rude... should I defend my brother?_

"That's enough, Adelbert Steiner!!!" said Garnet. "I'm very sorry for that, Zidane."

But Steiner was furious. He obeyed Garnet and put Zidane on the floor again. But then, he looked to Kuja. "You... insolent. I should have killed you a long time ago..."

Kuja stepped behind. "Ah..." He was scared. Zidane said that he once was a great red mage, but now he didn't remember any magic.

Garnet stood up. "Steiner, no!!!"

"Steiner, stop now!" said Beatrix.

Too late. Steiner went in Trance. And when someone go into Trance, no one can stop it.

"Rusty, you won't kill my brother!!!"

"Climhazzard!!!"

"Aaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Everyone heard Kuja's scream. But what suprised everyone was a flash of pure white light that came from where Kuja was.

Everyone stood up and picked their weapons, besides Zidane. "Be careful!!! He went in Trance too!!!" said Freya.

However, for everyone's surprise, Kuja went into a different Trance. His hair hadn't changed for red, it stayed silver. The only change was the two white, fluffy wings that came out of his back. His body was shining like Steiner's.

"Zidane, what is this?!" he shouted scared. "Where did this wings come from?"

"It's Trance!!! I've already told you about it."

"But you said that when I go into Trance my eyes and hair go red!!!"

_He's right, that's not his Trance. But... wait. When he went in Trance for the first time, he was angry and was using Dagger's mother's soul to do it. What if... Garland was only lying? Maybe Kuja have a soul strong enough to go into Trance, but only when he's in danger! _

"Kuja!!! I think that's your real Trance!!!"

Steiner didn't hurt Kuja. A invisible dome was protecting his fragile body. But Kuja was too weak and he went off Trance. Garnet went to where Zidane and Kuja was. "Steiner!!! I think he's good now!!! The Trance changed!!!"

Kuja used all his powers during the Trance, unconsciously. So, when he came back to normal, he was very tired. "I... think I have to rest a little bit."

Zidane helped his brother to sit on a chair. "Wait here until I come back, okay?" Then, he went to the dinning room to explain everyone what happened to he and Kuja since the battle with Necron.

Kuja took a little nap during Zidane's chat with everyone. He was having some weird dreams when someone shook him.

"Wha!!! It's over?" He asked, looking to Zidane's cerulean eyes.

"They understood everything, I guess. But..."

"What?"

"... Dagger said that she thinks I won't like to marry her."

The older genome blinked. "But... you love her!!!"

Zidane blushed a little. "she said that my soul wants someone who likes adventures..."

Kuja looked a little annoyed. "In resume, she said that she likes you as a friend."

"Yes..." Zidane sighed. "Let's go to our room now."

In the Prima Vista, Kuja went to Zidane's room. He felt sorry for his little brother, who helped him a lot lately. He found Zidane sitting on his bed, thinking.

"Zidane, may I come in?"

The blond genome looked to the door. "It's you, Kuja? Come in."

Kuja sat next to Zidane and put his right hand on his brother's head. "Don't worry... there is a lot of girls who like you..."

Zidane looked to Kuja's amethyst eyes. A little blush came to his cheeks. "Thanks for trying to console me... But let's try to talk about other stuffs."

So, they started to talk about Tetra Master, the most famous card game of the world, at least of Gaia. Zidane didn't think that the people of Terra even played something. It had got into a warm conversation and Zidane forgot about his problems with Garnet. He never knew that Kuja was so good on remembering things. He never played cards, but he knew all the types of cards that existed in the world.

It was getting late. It was almost eleven and Kuja wanted to go sleep. "Good night, Zidane."

Kuja stood up and was going to his room when he felt strong hands grabbing his wrist and pulling him back to the bed. He fell on the bed, astonished, looking to Zidane, who held each of Kuja's wrist, not allowing him to move his arms. "Zidane, what are..."

Zidane just smirked. "Sssshhh... you are gonna wake everyone."

The thief released Kuja's wrists for a moment and took off his gloves. "You are pretty, you know, Kuja..." Kuja opened his mouth to answer, but something stopped him. Zidane pressed his mouth on Kuja's, doing a forcing kiss. Kuja blushed a little, surprised.

"Zidane... stop it..."

But Zidane didn't stop. He put his hand on Kuja's beautiful hair and put his face next to Kuja's. "You are my beloved angel..." he whispered on Kuja's ear.

Now Kuja was really confused.

_Wish I could prove I love you._

_But does that mean I have to walk on water_

_When we are older you will understand._

_It's enough when I say so._

_And maybe some things are that simple._

Author's note: Now starts to be yaoi. I didn't put all the music _Hikari (Simple and Clean)_, from Kingdom Hearts, so, if you find the full version of the lyric (I have, but I've put it in other fic) you will see that the music is a bit LONGER than that. Many people will think that this is AU, but no. I'm trying my best to keep the character's personality besides Kuja's. Since Kuja lost his mind he doesn't need to keep his personality.

Eiko Makimachi – May 6th 2003.

Edit (February 13th 2005) - Again, I'm trying to correct as many mistakes as I can. I might re-write all the chapter of Dearly Beloved. Again, forgive me for any spelling/grammar mistakes (English is my second language).


	3. I am Kuja, I am Mikoto

Dearly Beloved.

By Eiko Makimachi

_Dearly Beloved_ © Kingdom Hearts Squaresoft and Disney Interactive 2002.

Final Fantasy IX © Squaresoft 2000.

Warning: This is a yaoi/slash story. If you think you are not mature enough for this kind of thing, please use the back button to return to main page.

Chapter 3: Watashi wa Kuja, watashi wa Mikoto.

Kuja was frozen. Who would thought that his brother was doing that? But then his mind jumped to the reality. "Stop it!!!" he yelled, slapping Zidane's face while trying to stop the insanity.

Zidane put his hands on the cheek. "You... slapped me..."

The fallen angel was still red. "Of course I did! What would you do in my place?!" Then, he left Zidane alone in his room.

_What did I do?! I... am getting insane! I almost did "it" with my own brother and, and..._

Zidane was very confused. His head was tired, his eyes were getting close. "It's better sleep."

In Kuja's room, the genome was on his bed, thinking. He picked a mirror and looked to his own face.

_My face... is a little bit girlish, isn't it? Well, all my body seems more feminine than anything... But... Zidane... he is getting crazy!!! And he still haven't told me my past!!! Damn you, Zidane!!! I tried to help and then you almost made "you know what" with me!!!_

He stopped to think and closed his purple bluish eyes. "..." Then, he fell asleep.

_I've been having this weird dreams lately..._

_Like... is anything this real... or not._

_Where I am?_

_What are you doing here, little girl?_

_Hey, don't go away!!!_

"Whoa!!!!!"

Kuja woke up in the middle of the night. His face was wet and his hands, cold. "What a weird dream..."

He tried to sleep again. _Why I'm always dreaming about this?_

His mind was trying to organize the his new memories. What would he say to Zidane tomorrow? What would he do?

Zidane... my little brother...

Then, he fell asleep again...

The first thing Zidane was doing after he woke up was trying to wake up his brother. He was really sorry for yesterday and so he wanted to say sorry for him.

"Hey, woke up, Kuja!!!"

But Kuja just shouted. "Get out of here now!!!"

Zidane didn't give up easily. "Oh, c'mon, Kuja!!! It's getting late!!! Don't you want to go to the town?! So, get your butt out!!!"

He hit the door, which opened silently. "The door wasn't locked..."

Inside, Zidane found Kuja brushing his long silver hair. The older genome turned his face and looked furious to Zidane. "I said you get out of here!!!" he shouted.

The blond boy looked ashamed to his brother. "Kuja, I'm very sorry for yesterday but..."

Kuja stood up and started to walk in circles. "So, you are sorry? Well, I forgive you." Zidane smiled a little. "If you tell me something." The fallen angel finished.

Zidane looked puzzled. "What?"

"Do you know a girl with blond hair and pink clothes?"

"Hum... yes! Oh, sorry, Kuja, but I forgot to tell you! You have a sister, and she looks like that person you have just described."

Kuja widened his eyes. "What?! I have... a sister?"

"Yeah, Mikoto."

"So, the girl in my dreams is Mikoto..." Zidane heard Kuja's words surprised.

Is he... getting his mind back?

"Zidane..." Kuja said, bringing Zidane back to reality. "Can I visit our sister?"

"... Okay."

The two went to the Invencible, Kuja's ex-airship. They asked Garnet for permission, since now the airship was on her custody.

"Whoa, what a huge airship!!!" exclaimed Kuja.

"Let's go, Kuja!!! We have to fly to the Black Mage Village."

"Black what?"

Zidane sighed. "Black Mage Village. I'll explain it later."

They took half an hour to arrive in the village, where all the genomes and black mages were living after the destruction of Terra. Kuja didn't remember that he was the one who destroyed that planet and that he was the creator of all black mages.

When Zidane came out of the airship, a huge group of genomes and black mages came to him. "It's Zidane Tribal!!! Call Mikoto!!!"

Mikoto came five minutes later. "Hi, Zidane..." she said with her emotionless face.

Zidane smiled. "How are you, Mikoto? Hey, I have a surprise to you!!! Come here!!!"

The third angel of death walked to the airship. "What's the problem, Zidane?"

"Hum... guess who is with me."

Mikoto made a "do you think I am an idiot? I have more things to do" face. "Garnet?"

"No" he said.

"Hum... Vivi?"

"No."

"Freya?"

"No!"

"I give up. Who is here?"

Zidane pulled Kuja to his side. Mikoto looked astonished for the first time in her life. "Kuja? What are you doing here?"

Kuja just stood there, looking to her. "This is Mikoto, Zidane?"

"Huh? Kuja, it's me, Mikoto, the third angel of death. Your sister."

"Angel of death? What's it?"

"Zidane, what happened to him?" Mikoto asked, looking a little bit worried.

"He lost his memories... He can't remember anything. But I think he is getting his memories back because he remembered you."

Mikoto pondered a little. "Hum... so, Garland was wrong. Kuja wouldn't die, but lose his memories... But let's go outside this ship, you two must be tired."

When the two came out, something very strange for Kuja happened. Lots of Vivis were pointing to him and shouting. "Aaahhhh!!! Kuja!!!! He's back!!!"

"I should have made a lot of wrong things..." He said, looking to the black mages with his cold eyes.

On the other hand, the genomes were just looking to him with empty, blue eyes. "Kuja... the first angel of death... the fallen angel... first genome created by Garland..."

Kuja looked to Zidane. "What they mean by "created"? And who is Garland? What is angel of death?!"

Zidane didn't know how to answer Kuja. "Kuja, let me explain everything at night, okay? Now we have to rest a little."

At night, Kuja and Zidane stayed at the inn that the black mages used to take care. "Why don't you tell my past?"

Zidane looked down. "Kuja, I can't tell you your past. It's better for you..."

Kuja grabbed Zidane's collar. "Who are you to know what's the best for me? Everyone shouts when they see me!!! Your friends don't like me!!! Those genomes keep calling me angel of death and fallen angel and that's confusing me. I want to know, Zidane!!!"

The blond picked Kuja's wrists. "Stop it, Kuja. I won't tell you anything!"

Kuaj released Zidane. "Okay... I'm sorry... I shouldn't shout with you... you are my brother, after all. I'm going to take a bath, okay?" Then, he went to the bathroom.

Now that he was alone, Zidane noticed that the inn was bigger now. It had four more rooms and two bathrooms. The Black Mage Village had done a reform since his last visit.

The night was cold. Cold like Kuja's eyes, cold like Mikoto's face. Zidane started to play with his tail, when he heard a noise. "What's it?!"

The noise came from the bathroom. "Kuja!!! Are you okay?!" But Kuja didn't answer. Instead, the blond genome heard more shouts. He went in.

A dense mist was in there. "Kuja!!! Where are you!?"

Zidane found out that the bathroom was with hot springs (like the ones in Japan, where the Japaneses usually had a bath in feudal times.) He found Kuja there. "Kuja!!!"

But Kuja wasn't alone. Another person was near him. Kuja was trying to run from the stranger. "Let me go!!! I'm not a girl, you moron!!!"

The stranger was tall, if it was possible, taller than Kuja, who was considered tall, for Zidane. "Let my brother alone!!!" he shouted.

"Zidane?!" Kuja stopped. But then, the stranger grabbed his wrist and pulled him to the water. "Aahhh!!!"

Zidane was about to jump in the springs to help his brother, but two pairs of arms wrapped him. "Hey, what the..."

Two other men, one with blond hair and other with black hair, attacked him. "Let our brother have fun, hehehehe..."

Kuja tried again to flee, but the stranger was too strong for him. "Ahh..." he moaned, when the tall man started to lick his naked neck, while holding him in order to not let him move. "Stop it!!!" the genome shouted.

The stranger smirked. "You think you can stop me, Bakura?"

Author's note: Who's the strange Bakura? Sorry for the late chapter but I'm kinda busy lately. Hum... getting more yaoi, isn't it? Damn, I did cliffhanger again --... Well, see you next chapter!!! Review, pretty please with cherry on the top!!!

Eiko Makimachi - May 16th 2003

Edit (November 1st 2006): More mistakes corrected and some sentences changed in order to make it more easy to read. I noticed some plot flaws on some chapters, so the plot will have some slight changes.

By the way, now that I'm more familiar to Yu-Gi-Oh!, my Bakura doesn't have any connection with Bakura from Yu-Gi-Oh!, it's just a name coincidence.


	4. The blushing of a pure soul

Dearly Beloved.

By Eiko Makimachi

__

Dearly Beloved © Kingdom Hearts Squaresoft and Disney Interactive 2002.

Final Fantasy IX © Squaresoft 2000.

Warning: This is a yaoi/slash story. If you think you are not mature enough for this kind of thing, please use the back button to return to Fanfiction.Net main page.

Chapter 4: The blushing of a pure soul.

Zidane looked to his brother, while the stranger licked his neck. "Let him go, you..."

Bakura looked to the blond with malicious eyes. "And who are you?"

Kuja tried to slap Bakura's face, but the tall man grabbed his hand in time. "So, the cat can defense itself, huh?" That made the genome blush a little bit. Then, Bakura asked again Zidane. "So, who are you?"

The blond looked angrily to the men. "Release Kuja now and I'll tell you my name!"

"Do you think I gonna let him go? How innocent." The man said. "Well, if you don't tell me who are you, I gonna do this to this cutie." He grabbed Kuja's tail.

"What are you going to do?" Zidane asked. Bakura pulled Kuja's tail softly, bringing Kuja near to him.

"Nothing, just..." Then, Bakura started to pet Kuja's tail. The genome blushed and started to moan. "Stop it... stop, please..."  


Zidane looked to him. He knows that the genome's tail are a little bit sensitive to touch. The first time Garnet grabbed his tail, Zidane blushed too. But with Garnet was okay, he allowed her to do it. But Kuja never allowed anyone to even see his tail.

"All the animals are a little bit sensitive to touch on the tail..." Bakura murmured. He was enjoying Kuja's helpless demand to stop petting.

"You..." Zidane tried to help Kuja, but the two big men were still holding him.

"You can't go there, hehehe..." said the blond.

"Hehehe... Brother needs fun too." Said the one with black short hair.

While that, Kuja started to fell something strange, but familiar at the same time. His memories where confused, but in someway, he knew that someone have already done it to him.

Bakura was tall and with black, long hair. Kuja had to admit, he was a beautiful man. But Kuja didn't like him. Bakura was a rude and apparently a egocentric person. He begged. "Stop it!!!"

The man just smirked. "Yes, beg more, cutie!"

Then, Kuja lost his strength and will to fight against his aggressor. He closed his purplish eyes.

Why should I be attractive to men?! Why?! Can't I be just a normal person? Damn, first Zidane, now this Bakura... 

But suddenly, he heard a noise. "What is happening here?" a feminine voice called. It was Mikoto.

"Let me go!!!" Kuja shouted again. It caught Mikoto's attention, who went to the bathroom' door.

"Is everything all right in there?" she asked. Zidane heard too and shouted. "Mikoto!!! We have a problem here!!!"

Mikoto felt that something was wrong. "Can I go in? It's everyone wearing something?" But then, she heard a scream in there. It was Kuja. "Kuja!!! Are you okay?!" But he didn't answer.

"Mikoto!!! It's urgent!!! Come in now!!!" shouted Zidane. Then, Mikoto decided to enter.

In the bathroom, Mikoto was horrified. With clothes, she found Zidane imprisoned by two huge guys. But in the hot springs she found the most strange scene of her life. In the water, she found Kuja blushing furiously. For a moment she would ask him why, but then, she found the reason. Out side the water, she found a man petting Kuja's tail. 

"I never saw sex between two males..." she said. That made Kuja blush even more. Bakura looked to her. "What a girl are doing here?!"

Then, Mikoto released that the strange man wasn't wearing anything. "Pervert!!! Get into water!!!"

Bakura blushed a little and went in. "Good, now release Kuja!!! Or I gonna call the gerent!!!"

The tall man release Kuja who curled it around the waist. "Mikoto, can you close your eyes for a moment, just for me get out and wear my clothes...?"

Mikoto closed her eyes and Kuja went out, After some minutes, he was dressing his white mage outfit. "Now you can open your eyes, Mikoto-dono."

The girl opened her blue eyes. "Okay, now, everyone explain yourself!!! What happened here?!"

Zidane, who had been released by the two guys, told everything to Mikoto, who looked to Kuja with a merciful face. She knew that rape wasn't a good thing, specially if you are a guy who had been assaulted by another man.

"So... You three will receive punishment for that. Zidane, you will have to relate everything to a authority from the Mist Continent." She said.

Kuja blushed a little. "But..."

Zidane looked surprised to Mikoto. "But Mikoto!!! I can't travel with this three perverts!!! And Kuja..."

But the other genome interrupted him. "Let's return to Alexandria."

"What?! To Alexandria?! But..." Zidane was surprised with Kuja's actions. "But Garnet will never believe in this story!!!"

Kuja closed his eyes for a moment. "Let's go."

Zidane sighed. "Okay, but let's wait until tomorrow, okay?"

"Okay."

At night, Kuja woke up twice. Zidane woke up together on the second time. "What's wrong with you?"

Kuja looked down. "I don't know. I just don't fell... comfortable here."

Zidane looked to Kuja. "Maybe you are having nightmares."

"No, it's not like that. It's... being with you."

Zidane looked puzzled to him. "What?!"

"Don't get me wrong! It's just... something..."

"Hold on! I gonna ask something to Mikoto!" Then, Zidane disappeared. After five minutes, he returned with Mikoto. 

"I gonna stay at another room, okay? You can talk with Mikoto, she will stay here tonight."

Then, he left the two.

Kuja was confused. "What is wrong with me?"

Mikoto showed a little smile. "I think... you are traumatized."

"Pardon?"

"I said that you are traumatized!!! That's why you don't fell well near Zidane!!! You ar traumatized by men!!!" she said.

Kuja looked astonished to her. "I am what? But I am a man, Mikoto!"

"But a man raped by another man." She said.

Kuja sat down on his bed. "Mikoto, why do I have this face?"

"Huh?"

"Why do I have this face? Why so many men wants to... you know."

The final question. The only one question that Garland said to Mikoto never answer her older brother. "Kuja... I don't know..."

But Kuja just ignored her. "Why, Mikoto? If I was created, why my creator made me like this?!"

The girl didn't know what to choose: her brother or her dead creator.

__

What should I say?

"... Okay, Kuja, I gonna tell you everything I know. But for you and Zidane. So you will have to wait until tomorrow."

"Okay..." The genome said. Then, he laid down again.

__

  
Always tomorrow, when I gonna see the light? Or at least the truth?

Author notes: It's soft yaoi because I have to maintain the rating PG-13. So, if you want LEMON or Explicit Yaoi, get out of here because you won't find it here. That means no graphic relations or anything like that. Sorry for my short chapters, but I don't like to do chapters with more than 2000 words because I think is too exhaustive to read too long chapters. Sorry for the late chapter.

Eiko Makimachi – 23rd May 2003


	5. What a weird dream!

Dearly Beloved

By Eiko Makimachi

Final Fantasy IX © Squaresoft 2000.

Warning: This story contains shounen-ai and yaoi. If you think you are not mature enough for this kind of thing, go back to Fanfiction.Net' main page.

Chapter 5: What a weird dream!

"Where I am?"

"So, my first angel of death is still alive." Said a cold voice.

Kuja was in a strange place, with waterfalls and strange constructions. He looked up. The sky was dark, with a huge moon sometimes, then it changes to a cloudy sky.

"Kuja, come here now." said the voice again. Kuja looked to his right. An old man, in a black outfit, was walking towards him when the genome opened his mouth.

"Who are you?! How do you know my name?!"

The old man stopped. "So, the prophecy was true..."

"Which prophecy?! What are you talking about?" asked the silver haired genome.

Starting to walk again, the old man stood face to face with Kuja. He was taller than Kuja, with empty eyes. He placed his hand on Kuja's cheek, causing him to blush.

__

Why I'm felling so warm... Who is this old man?

"The prophecy..." started the man. "The prophecy of Terra..."

The young red mage was confused. This man was talking about something without sense for him. Maybe everything was a dream, he thought.

"My mission was to bring life again to Terra. For this, the prophecy said that I had to sent three of the genomes to Gaia." The old man breathed for a while.

"But the prophecy also said 'Choose wisely the souls. Don't corrupt them. If you do it, Terra will be destroyed, instead of brought back to life.' But I didn't listened to it. I corrupted you, I abused you."

Kuja was horrified with all this. "A... abused me? Corrupted me? What is this all?! Why anyone tell me everything?!?!"

The old man ignored Kuja and continued. "So, you destroyed Terra and killed me. 'If it happens, the first soul will die. But there is a chance for this poor soul...' the prophecy said. 'If the second soul return to help the first soul when he/she is dying, the first soul won't die. Instead of it, the soul will loose the past memories, so it won't be perturbed more.'"

The man released Kuja and went to the waterfall. Kuja shouted. "But, wait!!! I still don't understand something!!!"

But the man just said "Farewell, Kuja. This is the last time that you see your master."

"Master?! What do you mean?"

"Don't worry about it. It's just a dream." Then, the old man vanished. Kuja started to fell bad and he fell on the flour.

__

Farewell, fallen angel...

Next day Kuja and Zidane was having breakfast when the older genome told to Zidane about his weird dream. Zidane looked to his meal, thoughtfully.

"Yes, this man was Garland, our creator."

"Tell me about my past, please, Zidane!!!"

But Zidane sighed. "Sorry, Kuja. I can't tell you anything more than I know."

Mikoto looked to her oldest brother. "Kuja... Come with me."

"Where are you taking him?!" asked Zidane.

The girl looked seriously to Zidane. "It's something particular between me and Kuja." Then, both went to their rooms.

Mikoto locked the door and asked Kuja to sit down. "Kuja, what I gonna tell you is something very serious. Are you ready to listen everything?" The genome nodded.

"So, read this book. It's mine diary. It will explain everything."

Mikoto's diary

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

(...)

13:00: I went to the laboratory, trying to find Kuja. But instead of him, I found Garland.

13:15: Garland told me that Kuja went to Gaia.

13:20: I left the laboratory and went to Kuja's room.

14:00: When I finally opened Kuja's room, I found something very strange.

14:15: After looking around I found Kuja in his bathroom. He was with bruises on the wrists and with his clothes all torn. 

14:34: Kuja told me that Garland did "it" again with him because he was a failure.

(...)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kuja looked wide opened to the diary. "Mikoto, what do you mean with 'it'?"

Mikoto picked her diary and opened on one of the first pages. "Read it"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

(...)

18:34: I found master at his laboratory. He was reading something. I asked to him what was that. He closed it suddenly.

18:53: Kuja appeared with sad face. Garland asked me to went out. I waited for Kuja outside.

19:30: I've heard strange noises. Kuja was yelling with pain. I went back to the laboratory.

19:32: I found Kuja naked on a table. Garland was pulling his tail hardly. Kuja was yelling "Stop it!!! I hate you!!! I hate you!!!"

19:45: Kuja got dressed and went out. I asked Garland why he was doing it to Kuja. He opened the strange book.

19:46: Garland said that Kuja was his failure, yet his most beautiful work. He showed a page of his book to me. There was a picture of an angel.

19:50: Master told me that he wanted to make Kuja like an angel because he would be the first angel of death. Then, he showed me a picture made with watercolor to me. It was Kuja, with white wings.

20:04: Garland said that the problem was that angels are androgynous. That means that they are all males, but with feminine physical. (delicate face, tall, slim, light eyes, long hair)

20:13: Garland told that's why Kuja is so feminine. And why he was doing it to him. I went back to my room, not understanding well.

(...)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kuja closed the book and stared emotionless to Mikoto, who picked the diary from his hands. "That's explained everything, hadn't it?"

The young mage didn't opened his mouth. His mind was so confuse, yet harassed.

__

I can't believe it... since when I was born I was predestined to be... only a puppet for the other men... Now I know why Zidane didn't want to tell me my past...

"Kuja...?"

He stood up. "Mikoto... I'm so confused... What should I do? I don't want to be always just a toy on people's hands."

Mikoto didn't know what to say. Her brother was so fragile now... How to shire up? She didn't know. 

After some minutes, someone knocked. It was Zidane.

"Hey!!! We have to go back now!!!"

Kuja opened the door. Zidane felt that his brother wasn't felling well.

"Let's go."

Mikoto looked to them, without saying anything. Kuja looked to her. "Good bye, Mikoto."

Before they went to the Invencible, Mikoto called them. They looked to their sister.

"Good bye!!! See you!!!"

Them, they smiled and waved their hands.

"Bye!!!"

Free talk: Finally I updated this fic!!! I was kinda busy with my homepage but I'm back!!! Well, Mikoto's diary looks like Rei Ayanami's diary (Neon Genesis Evangelion). Both write when they did something and when something will happen. Really, the first thing I thought when I saw Mikoto in the game was "Hey, this girl remembers me of Ayanami." However, go visit my page (see the address on my profile) to see my fanarts ^_^.

Eiko Makimachi – June 6th 2003.


	6. Help! I'm drowning!

Dearly Beloved

By Eiko Makimachi

Final Fantasy IX ã Squaresoft 2000.

__

Dearly Beloved ã Yoko Shimomura 2002.

Warning: This story contains yaoi and shounen-ai. If you don't like this kind of thing or think it's not mature enough, go back to Fanfiction.Net.

Chapter 6: Help! I'm drowning!

The first thing that happened when the genomes arrived in Alexandria was the judge of Bakura and his brothers. Obviously, they had their punishment (ten years as servants of Alexandria castle). However, Zidane didn't want to stay too long at the castle. He still didn't forget his argue with Garnet.

"Zidane..." spoke Kuja. " If you want, we can leave the castle. This world is so huge..."

The blond nodded. "Yes, I think so. What do you think? Shall we go to Ruby's theater?"

"Okay. Let's pick a boat to go to the town."

They found a boat to cross the river that separate the castle from the town. They sat down in, looking to the water.

"The river is calm today." Zidane said.

"Yeah, we can see our reflection in the water." Kuja added.

But suddenly, something happened. The river started to get more furious and waves hit the boat. 

"Zidane!!!"

"Ahhh!!!"

A giant dragon came out of the river. It roared loudly and jumped again into the river. The waves came more strong and it was getting hard to maintain the boat in safe location. The dragon came out again, glaring to them. 

The things happened too fast. The boat was sank by the waves. Zidane fell in the water and could hardly see where Kuja was. Then, he heard him screaming.

"Ahhh!!! I... can't... sw-" 

Zidane gasped for some air. He never expected that his brother couldn't swim. He dived and tried to find Kuja. But there wasn't any sign of him in the cold water. Zidane returned to the surface, needing more air. Then, he saw him.

Kuja's hand could be see. Zidane swam in his direction, trying to catch his hand. Fighting against the furious waves, he managed to catch the slim, pale hand and pull him out of the water.

__

Shit! He's drowning!

Zidane didn't know what to do. The dragon was huge and he kept doing waves while jumping out and into the river. Pulling Kuja together, the blond genome tried to swim to the ladders of the castle. 

__

Geez, Kuja is pretty light...

Reaching the first step of the ladders, Zidane took out Kuja from the water and carried him to the entrance. Lots of soldiers were pointing and shouting. Then, Beatrix appeared.

"What's going on here?!" she said. Then, she saw the dragon and the genomes. 

"Beatrix!!!" shouted Zidane. "Call Dagger here!!! Please!!!"

The general run into the castle. After some minutes, Garnet came out, with her white dress, looking scared.

"Oh my god! It can't be... No!" she murmured.

"What's wrong, majesty?" said Beatrix.

"It's... an eidolon!"

"An eidolon? But I thought Your Majesty and Miss Eiko had possessed all of them."

Garnet sighed. "That's why I'm worried. This is Leviathan. And I was supposed to have control under him."

The queen looked to Zidane and Kuja. "Zidane! What happened to you?!"

Zidane just stared. "I'll talk about it later! Help me here! He's unconscious!"

Garnet looked to Kuja, who was on Zidane's arms. He was paler than he used to be. "Come here! Let's put him on bed!"

They went into one of the guest's rooms and Zidane lowered his brother's body on a fluffy bed. He was cold and breathing with some difficult.

"I have to go and stop the dragon. Keep an eye on him, Zidane!" shouted Garnet.

"Wait!!!" he shouted. But she had already disappeared.

He turned and put his head on Kuja's chest. _Damn, he's breathing hardly. What I'm supposed to do?_

Life breathing? Mouth to mouth?

"No way!!!"

__

But he needs you. Go on!

Zidane faced his brother's face. His lips were centimeters of Kuja's. He felt a kind warm going up to his cheeks.

__

This is no time for it, Zidane!!! 

Taking a good quantity of air, Zidane let oxygen go into Kuja, but he remained unconscious. 

__

Kuja!!!

"I'm drowning!"

__

Kuja...

"Maybe I am dead now."

__

Kuja...

"But... if I'm dead, why someone is calling me..."

__

Wake up...

"This voice...Zidane?"

__

Wake up, Kuja...

"..."

__

Kuja!!!

Kuja finally opened his amethyst eyes. "What-"

Zidane was crying. "Kuja! Kuja!" 

He hugged his older brother firmly. "You are alive, Kuja! Alive!"

"Of course I'm alive. I-" 

Looking down, he found that his mage clothes were removed. He was wearing a kind of kimono or something like that. It was white and clean.

"Who changed my clothes?"

Zidane blushed a little. Kuja caught it. "Don't say you changed my clothes, Zidane."

"I was the only one here. Dagger was a minute ago too, but I don't think she would like to change your clothes..." This comment made Kuja blush.

"I didn't say that. It's just, you know, what happened that night..." he remembered the night before they went to visit Mikoto.

Zidane looked away. "I'm really sorry for that, but I can't, I can't close my eyes to the reality."

Kuja looked puzzled. "Reality?"

The blond genome jumped from the bed and stood up. "Kuja..."

__

Zidane...?

"I... love you."

Both remained in silence, each one looking to the other. The time seemed to had stopped into the eternity.

"I love you, Kuja." Repeated Zidane, braking the frozen moment.

Kuja just opened his mouth. "Zidane I-" But Zidane stopped him, kissing him kindly. Then, he released Kuja and walked out of the room. But before it, he looked to Kuja's eyes and sighed.

"But you don't need to love me, you know." Then, he left, leaving Kuja on the sat on the bed, looking to him, with tears on cheek.

"Zidane..."

__

This is the end. Zidane, I'm sorry, very sorry...

Looking to Mikoto's diary, my past was horrible, but at least I was the only one sad. Now, my present is worst. It's not only me, it's my brother too.

Zidane...

"Zidane!!!"

He jumped from the bed and went down stairs. "Zidane!!!"

Looking around, he found Garnet and Eiko. It seems that they had just finished a battle. "My majesty, miss Eiko, have you seen Zidane?"

The girls glared at him with cold eyes. It scared Kuja.

"How... how could you..." started Garnet.

"You insensible!" shouted Eiko. "You are the dearest person for Ziddy and you still refuses to accept him!!!"

Kuja looked puzzled. "I don't understand... What are you talking about?!"

Garnet slapped him. He looked astonished to the queen. 

"You monster!" she cried. " When I said Zidane wasn't for me he looked depressed, but he didn't cry! But now he comes running crying! I asked him what happened and he told everything!"

"Can't you see?!" continued Eiko. "Zidane has chosen you, Kuja! Not me, not even Dagger! You!!!" She pointed to him. Kuja fell on his knees.

"Why..." he started. "Why... can't you see!?" he flushed. "Why I'm asking where is him? Why I'm shouting like an idiot for his name?" he let fell a tear.

"I love him too! He is the only person I have in this world! He helped me, he saved me, he talks with me! But you, ah, you can't even look for me because I was the angel of death! I was the fallen angel! You all avoid me! Now I understand my feelings and I'm going to tell everything to Zidane."

He run outside the castle, barefoot, leaving the girls staring at him. Then, he stopped on the ladders and looked back.

"You know what?" He yelled. "I hate you all!!!" Then, he resumed his search for his brother.

Eiko looked to Garnet. "Dagger..."

"What?"

"I think Kuja's is right."

"What?!" Garnet shouted.

"We are avoiding him, like the genomes and Garland when he was a kid. Deep inside, no one is bad. It's our friends and family that make it."

Kuja couldn't find Zidane in Alexandria. Then, he remembered that he could find him at Ruby's theater.

Inside, he found a girl with strange speech. She should be Ruby. Then, next to her, he found Zidane, drunk.

"Zidane, I think you should look who is here..." said Ruby.

The genome turned to see Kuja.

"Zidane, I'm sorry, I-"

But Zidane turned his back and refused to look to Kuja. It made Kuja angry.

"Okay, fine, I'll gonna live you here alone." He murmured. "But before anything, I want to tell you something."

His young brother turned his head.

"I love you too."

Author's note: Cliffhanger! This is the longest chapter I've ever done. This chapter was so fluffy, cute shounen-ai... Please, review!!! I need at least 5 reviews to continue this story (send me some ideas).

Eiko Makimachi - July 11th 2003


	7. Dearly Beloved

Dearly Beloved

By Eiko Makimachi

Final Fantasy IX ã Squaresoft 2000.

Dearly Beloved ã Yoko Shimomura 2002.

Warning: This story contains yaoi and shounen-ai. If you don't like this kind of thing or think it's not mature enough, go back to Fanfiction.Net.

Chapter 7: Dearly Beloved

Kuja stood there, waiting Zidane to punch him or at least start to yell. But his brother seemed too drunk to do it. The first genome didn't left the theater too. He kept looking to his brother.

Then, Zidane stood up. Ruby looked a little bit astonished with the declaration, but in one minute she jumped again to the reality.

"I think yeh two want to stay alone. Yeh can stay at my room, it's backstage."

No waiting for an answer she grabbed their hands and guided them to her room. 

Inside, Kuja kept staring, crying, for Zidane's answer. In the other hand, the blond just remained stood up, while Kuja sat down on the edge of the bed.

"Zidane..."

Zidane was absolutely red, due the quantity of bear he had drunk. He walked towards Kuja, without saying a word. The silver haired genome looked up to face his brother.

Suddenly, Zidane fell on Kuja's arms, to Kuja's surprise. "Zidane, you are too drunk! You should rest!" he sighed.

But his brother didn't seem wanting rest. Glancing to Kuja's icy blue eyes, he finally opened his mouth. 

"You bitch."

Kuja couldn't believe what he had just heard.

"You son of a bitch, that's what you are, Kuja..."

"Zidane, are you okay?" He asked kindly.

But his brother just punched him right on his face. Blood came out of Kuja's mouth. He never saw Zidane so angry.

"Only now you tell me that?! You know how I suffered trying to hide my feelings from you, bastard?!"

"Stop it, you are drunk."

"I'm not drunk! Just because I drank several bears I'm not drunk!" he grabbed Kuja's arms.

"Zidane, let me go."

"Ah, but you are going to pay. Now!"

Kuja froze. Maybe that Ruby girl shouldn't left them alone after all.

Zidane grabbed his dagger. "Now you are going to pay for every pain you gave to me!"

He was enjoying it. Enjoying seeing Kuja screaming with terror.

"Zidane! Stop it! You are not yourself!"

"Yes I am." He said, holding his dagger. Zidane managed to attack Kuja, who closed his eyes.

But instead of killing him, he cut part of Kuja's clothes. "No, I won't kill you. I have a way better to hurt you, like you hurt me."

Kuja looked scared to Zidane. "Zidane, stop, y-"

Zidane pressed his mouth against Kuja's, who froze again, astonished. But after several minutes he came back to reality and pushed himself far from Zidane. But his brother was built stronger physically than he was. The blond genome pushed Kuja against the cold wall, still holding his dagger.

"I've said that I wouldn't kill you."

With his clothes all torn, Kuja could feel that at least his back was completely without protection. He tried to call Zidane back to reality one more time, but the blond ignored him, busy with something that Kuja wasn't sure he wanted to know.

Minutes of silence remained inside the room. Kuja was still breathless, afraid of what would happen if he managed to escape from his brother. Zidane kept pushing Kuja against the wall.

Then, Kuja felt something cold and painful drawing against his pale, fragile skin. The pain was intense and he couldn't hold it so easily. He cried with pain, begging Zidane to stop, but his brother wasn't listening to him.

Tears fell from his eyes. The pain was winning, he couldn't hold it anymore. Facing the wall, Kuja started to fell on his knees.

"Zidane, stop!!!"

In the morning, Zidane woke up with a headache. 

"What happened here..."

Then, he saw blood. Blood on his hands. On his left, he found his dagger, dirt with blood too. He was scared. What did he do last night?

Afraid of what would he find in front of him, he closed his eyes, Slowly, he dared to look who was there. He gasped.

He could see Kuja sleeping, all his clothes torn. He had fear on his face. He was barefoot, with his tail around his body. It looked like it wanted to protect the genome. Looking with more attention, Zidane let a scream out.

His back was without any cover. But what made Zidane alarmed were the bruises and cuts found on his back. It was bleeding.

"Kuja... what did I do..."

His brother was covered with bloody. Zidane took his head on his arms and stared at the pale face. 

"Kuja..."

But his brother didn't answer. Again, Zidane shook gently his head. Kuja gasped and opened his eyes.

"Kuja, I'm so sorry! Please, forgive me, please!!!" yelled Zidane. He closed his eyes, waiting for his brother's answer. _He will get insane again. He will yell at me, kill me._

But instead, Kuja placed his hand on Zidane's forehead and smiled.

"I'm not mad with you."

Then, he kissed Zidane. A true kiss.

Zidane carried Kuja to the castle. He needed a healer to heal all the bruises and cuts on Kuja's back. But during the way, he found Garnet.

"What... what happened with him?"

Some tears fell on the genome's cheek. "I happened to him."

"What?!"

"I was so depressed that I went to Ruby's theater. There I drank bear until I was completely red and drunk. Unfortunately, it seems that Kuja appeared when I was in this awful status.

"No... you attacked him?"

"I don't know. Seems more like a rape or something."

Garnet stared at Kuja, who was sleeping. "I'll heal him."

Zidane opened his eyes in surprise. "Will you?!"

"Of course!!! He needs a powerful healing spell."

Garnet cast Curaga on Kuja. After some minutes, the cuts closed and the bruises disappeared. Everything seemed well now, but then, a soldier appeared.

"Your Magesty!!!" she said, gasping for air. "Illegal summoning outside!!!"

Garnet gasped. "Oh no, not again."

They went out, leaving Kuja resting in the healing room. They found a giant dragon burning all the houses.

"Oh, no, Bahamut!" said Garnet.

But there was someone riding the large dragon. The person landed in front of the queen and Zidane, letting them to recognize him.

"What? You are Bakura, the one from the Black Mage Village!" shouted Zidane. "Where are your brothers? How come can you summon?"

The man laughed. "Bakura? Brothers? You believed? Hahahahaha!!!"

"I don't see anything funny." Said Zidane.

"My name is not Bakura. I don't have brothers."

A flash of light covered his body. The black long hair turned silver, like Kuja's and his eyes changed from blue to golden. A pair of black, dragon like wings came out of his back.

"My name is Yoru. Bakura doesn't exist."

Garnet summoned Leviathan, but Yoru just smirked. "See that the queen is a summoner."

"How can you summon an eidolon that belongs to another person?!" asked she.

"Maybe because I'm not even an human."

Silence.

"What?!"

But Yoru opened his wings and flew above them. "I don't have time to waste with you two!"

"Wait!!!" yelled Zidane.

Yoru stopped and looked down. "Ah, just for your information, someone from your friends and family will belong to me forever." Then, he disappeared.

Zidane looked to the sky, confused. "Someone..."

__

"Zidane..."

Huh?

"Zidane... Come on!"

Kuja?

"I don't want to be alone."

What?

"Farewell, Zidane. My memories will be part of the sky."

"Kuja!!!"

Zidane ran towards the healing room._ Why we left him alone? He is still weak and don't know any of his powerful spells anymore._

"Zidane, maybe it isn't him! Why would this, this Yoru want him?!" said Garnet.

__

"You will learn that the last person you would think about at the moment is the answer for all your questions."

"What do you mean by that, Kuja?"

"I mean that our life is full of surprises."

They opened the door of the healing room. Zidane jumped in, hoping that Kuja is safe on his bed.

"No!!!"

Floating in front of him, Yoru was holding Kuja, naked and unconscious. Kuja was in Trance, but his feathered wings were all dirt with blood. Yoru glared to Zidane.

"I told you. Someone will belong to me. He will belong to me. As a souvenir, you can take his clothes. It will help you remember his face."

Then, he went out through a window, leaving Zidane crying and shouting.

Okay, you asked Zidane/Kuja, there you are. You asked a threesome, well, you read the story. Is everyone happy? Longer chapter for my 14 YEARS OLD BIRTHDAY!!! Yes, I am fourteen now. I need more reviews giving tips for the next chapter!!!

Eiko Makimachi - July 31st 2003


	8. Trust you

Dearly Beloved

By Eiko Makimachi

Final Fantasy IX is a copyright of Squaresoft 2000.

Dearly Beloved is a copyright of Yoko Shimomura 2002.

Warning: This story contains yaoi and shounen-ai. If you don't like this kind of thing or think it's not mature enough, go back to Fanfiction.Net.

Chapter 8: Trust you

Kuja woke up. He was weak and dirty. Looking to his body, he saw that he wasn't wearing his kimono, but an odd outfit. White long sleeves were covering his arms. All the cloth was white as snow with purplish adornments. His bare feet were cold and unprotected. The genome stood up. The outfit was more like a sorcerer's or a priest's costume than normal clothes.

Looking around Kuja noticed that he wasn't at Alexandria's castle anymore. He was in a strange forest, full of strange flowers and plants. A noise like water falling could be heard. The genome walked to were the noise come with his bare feet, scared.

Reaching an open place, his eyes found a crystalline lake with a waterfall, surrounded by lots trees. But what caught his attention was the middle of the lake.

Floating in the middle of the lake, there was a man, older and taller than him, with long silver hair and black wings. Kuja never saw someone like him. Walking to the lake, the strange man turned his head to Kuja.

"Ah, so you finally woke up."

Kuja stared to his golden eyes. "How come you know I was sleeping?"

The man flew to the ground, near Kuja. "Well, I brought you here."

"I can't remember... Where is Zidane?" asked the genome

The man sighed. "You mean a boy with blond hair?"

"Yes, what happened to him?"

"Don't you remember?"

Kuja was confused. He couldn't remember when he came to this forest or what happened with Zidane. He closed his eyes for a moment, trying to remember everything.

__

What happened...

"Come with me."

"No!!! Let me go!!!"

I was at the healing room...

"I won't give up!!!"

Now I remember...

I went in trance...

And I started to fight with someone...

"You are no match for me!"

"AAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

"Now you remember." Said the man calmly.

"It was you! You attacked me!" said Kuja

The man landed on the ground. He smirked and opened his left hand in front of his eyes. A kind of powder came out of his hand. Kuja put his hand on his mouth. Five minutes later, the powder disappeared. 

"What was that powder?" Kuja asked.

The man smirked again. "You will find out soon."

Just when he finished his sentence, Kuja felt something strange.

"I... can't move..."

The man walked to Kuja's direction. He stopped face to face with Kuja. "This powder can paralyze anything. Now I can talk with you without interruptions.

"... Ok."

"Let me introduce so. My name is Yoru."

"I'm not a human, as you can see. I'm a kind of an eidolon, but I'm not a spirit. How can I explain to you..."

Kuja listened to each Yoru's word carefully. He couldn't understand what or who was Yoru, but he surely wasn't an human.

"I'm a creature named by the other eidolons as a guardian. Different of them, I don't need to obey a master. That means that I can't be summoned."

Yoru raised his hand and placed it on Kuja's forehead. "I was born in Terra. You surely know that world, you used to live there. The ancient people of Terra knew that their end was near, so they created Garland, who was supposed to create three special souls who would bring their world back."

Kuja looked to Yoru. His mind was confused. This Garland... Zidane said that he was his creator. But who's Yoru? What was his connection with Garland?

"But then the people thought that Garland might fail creating the souls, so they created me. As the eidolons call, I'm the guardian of Terra. My mission is that if Garlands mission fail, I would take his place and mission." Said Yoru.

"What... do you mean..." asked Kuja.

Yoru smirked. "Garland would fail if the first soul created was considered corrupted. Then, if the first soul survive, my mission is to take care of the soul until it's strong enough to continue the mission of bring Terra back to life. Since you, the first soul, survived, here I am, to help you destroying this meaningless planet."

The paralyzing powder was fading out and Kuja began to feel his legs again. He couldn't believe what Yoru said to him.

"I don't want to destroy this world! The people here aren't dangerous, why do you want to destroy this world!?"

Yoru grabbed Kuja by his collar and opened his black wings.

"You don't have the authority to yell at me, Kuja. You have to obey me, you don't have any choice."

Yoru flapped his wings, grabbing Kuja by the collar. Kuja tried to kick him, but Yoru didn't feel anything. He just smirked again and glared to Kuja.

"I don't know how Garland could fail. You are perfect, like an angel. That's why Garland kept calling you as his fallen angel." Yoru said, grabbing Kuja's tail. The genome froze

__

I know someone that grabbed my tail like him... who was this person...

"Bakura!"

"Finally you found out who I am... Yes, I'm was Bakura..." he said, smirking.

"Let me go, you pervert!!!"

But the guardian just grabbed Kuja and flew out of the forest. Looking down, Kuja saw that they were somewhere in the Evil Forest, which wasn't petrify anymore. Yoru seemed to be flying to somewhere near the Lifa Tree.

"Where are you taking me?!" yelled Kuja.

"Somewhere you knew very well, before losing your memories..."

"Let me go!!!!!"

"Hehehehe...."

"Zidane!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

__

Zidane, help me!

Far away, Zidane was still shocked. He didn't speak and no one could make him speak something. His friends tried several times to find Kuja, but they didn't find him.

__

Kuja, where are you...

Kuja...

Kuja...

Kuja!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Free Talk: Sorry for the late chapter and I hope you enjoyed it.

Eiko Makimachi - September 6th 2003


	9. Yoru no Uta Song of the night

Dearly Beloved

By Eiko Makimachi

Final Fantasy IX is a copyright of Squaresoft 2000.

Dearly Beloved is a copyright of Yoko Shimomura 2002.

Warning: This story contains yaoi and shounen-ai. If you don't like this kind of thing or think it's not mature enough, go back to Fanfiction.Net.

Chapter 9: Yoru no Uta (Song of Night)

Kuja was so tired that he stopped to fight against Yoru. They were still flying over the Mist Continent. Looking down, Kuja found lots of interesting things, like airship, some chocobos running peacefully and moggles flying and playing together. He wished he was a moggle. At least he wouldn't have to worry with a psychotic dark angel who wants to kidnap him and do God-knows-what.

Then, he noticed that they were now above the ocean. "Hey, where are you taking me?"

"I have told you, somewhere that you knew quite well before losing your memories." Said Yoru.

They continued flying in silence, but some hours later, Kuja fell asleep.

"Any news about Kuja?" asked Garnet.

Beatrix and Steiner went into a journey after Kuja, but they said that they didn't find him anywhere in Mist Continent. Zidane was still in shock. Garnet was worried with him. He didn't eat or drink anything and Eiko wasn't helping much. She kept screaming and yelling, which was making everyone mad.

__

Kuja...

It's all my fault. I didn't protect him. I didn't listen to him. Oh, poor Kuja...

It's my fault...

It's my fault...

It's my fault............

Kuja woke up on a large bed. The sunlight was lighting all the room. Looking around, he noticed that he was alone. No sign of Yoru.

He jumped from the bed and looked to the large window. He might be in a castle or palace, far away from Alexandria. For his surprise, there were different kinds of animals, beasts and plants there. Was he in another country?

"So, you finally awake. The day is almost ending." 

He turned back. Yoru was staring to him.

"Where I am?"

"Oh, I forgot to say. This is the Desert Palace, at Other Continent. You used to live here before losing your mind." Yoru answered.

Looking around surprised, Kuja sat again on the bed. "What? This enormous place was mine?"

Yoru smirked. "Didn't your so dear Zidane say it?"

Kuja closed his eyes. "No... "

"How great is your brother... So, did you like it?"

"Hum.... a bit..." the genome said.

"Good". Yoru said. "Come with me."

Knowing that if he resisted he would get hurt, Kuja followed Yoru through the palace. There was lots of paintings and statues in the corridors. But one single picture caught Kuja's eyes.

It was a big picture with gold frame. It was a very pale boy with the eyes closed. The white purplish hair was long and his face was very cold and emotionless. White wings came from his back and closing high in front of it's belly. The boy was with both hands in front of the wings, opened, like he was praying or calling something. On his hands, gold ribbons were wrapped. It was a very beautiful picture.

"Oh, I see that you found yourself." Said Yoru.

Kuja stared to the picture. "This is me?"

"It was supposed to be. But that's why Garland called you a fail."

Kuja's face froze. "A what?"

"You should look like the picture. That means that you was supposed to have wings. But Garland only managed the soul, physically you don't have wings. But your soul is a very special one."

They continued walking and talking. The day was ending and the stars were starting to light the dark blue sky. 

"Your soul isn't from a Gaian, like Zidane's and Mikoto's soul. Yours came from an spirit that was about to turn into an eidolon. But Garland caught it before it so he could raise it into a body. Your body." Said Yoru.

The genome looked a bit puzzled to Yoru. He wasn't understanding half of what he said, but the other half was kinda creepy to hear. However, the thing that caught Kuja's attention was Yoru's eyes. They were glowing.

"Yo-yoru, what's going on with..."

"My eyes?" He finished. "Oh, I forgot to tell you, during the night I get stronger. And more violent..."

"What?!" Kuja covered his mouth with his hands.

Yoru smirked. "Oh, my poor little Kuja is afraid of me."

He grabbed Kuja by the wrist and took him to another room. This room was illuminated by the moon's light. It was an enormous room with a pedestal in the middle. Yoru threw Kuja in the room and locked the door. The genome fell just in front of the pedestal and hit the head. Blood fell from his forehead.

"Now is the time for teaching you the art of destruction." Said Yoru.

Kuja felt Yoru's cold hands touching his forehead. As he touched it, Kuja felt a strange pain, it was like something was invading his mind. He started to scream madly, but Yoru didn't do anything, just stood there with his hnad on Kuja's forehead.

__

"What? I'm gonna die...?"

"You are wasting your time."

"Die, you fouls!!!"

"Peace is but a shadow of death..."

"I don't want to die!!!"

"Farewell Zidane, my memories will be part of the sky..."

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

"Yes, feel all the anger, all the sadness of your past!!! Let your dark side appear!!!" Shouted Yoru.

"I c-can't let this happen!!!" yelled Kuja.

"Like you can do something against me." Laughed Yoru.

"Let me go!!!"

"You puppet!!! Shall I be ruder with you?! I think you have to learn to obey me!!!"

Yoru's eyes glowed like fire. "You shall feel the power of the music of the night!!!"

Fire came from Yoru's hands. Kuja yelled in panic, he couldn't die now. Not now that he knows more about his past. "Some words are coming to my mind, what's it? Seems... Water..."

As he said it, water came from Kuja's hands. But it didn't stop the fire.

"Hahaha, foul, your magic is useless against mine!!!"

The fire started to burn all Kuja's clothes.

__

I don't want to die, no, no, no!!!

But for his surprise, he noticed that the fire only burnt his clothes. When it reached his skin, the fire vanished.

"Better that way." Said Yoru smiling. "I was missing you naked."

That comment made Kuja blush. "How dare you? Don't come at me!"

He was feeling so vulnerable in that state. More words were coming into his mind. "U-ultima..."

Flashes of purple light came out of his body and hit Yoru. But it didn't work, Yoru was protected by a barrier.

"Useless!!! Your power are weaker than mine!!!"

Approaching from Kuja, Yoru took the genome's chin and turned his face. In fact he was liking it. He never saw Garland's first puppet with such scared face. He was always carrying an arrogant and egocentric face. Now, the so called angel of death was in the most vulnerable way. Looking scared to the guardian, trying to protect the fragile body with his bare hands, blushing and with the tail curled around the body. 

"I see that you don't like physical contact." Said Yoru. "What a pity for you."

Letting go the genome's face, he grabbed Kuja's hair and pulled it. Kuja yelled with the pain and opened his amethyst eyes in shock.

"Aayeeeee, let my hair!!!" He cried out.

Yoru pulled it more and more. Kuja got up to avoid the pain until he was face to face with the guardian.

"Good, now, be punished." Said Yoru.

The guardian kissed the young genome. Kuja was shocked. He didn't want to let it. No, not him, this is horrible, he punched and pushed him off but the guardian didn't let him go. Tears started to came from his eyes, he didn't want it.

When Yoru stopped the kiss, he smiled. "I like your painful face. Now, the real punishment."

He summoned chains that came out from the armors near the pedestal. They tied Kuja up on the wall behind the pedestal.

"You will stay here until you learn to obey me. Or until you become an angel." Said Yoru, going out of the room and locking Kuja inside. The moonlight was illuminating Kuja now.

__

Zidane.... where are you?

People are like darkness and light.

They have the good and the bad side. 

I can't let my dark side rises. 

Please, someone release me from those chains...

Author's notes: Sorry for the late update, I was busy with school. Hope you liked it ^_^. Oh yeah, trying to keep the rating pg-13, don't come asking me lemony things because I refuse to write that kind of stuff. No, Yoru DIDN'T do anything with Kuja, so keep your mind that he just kissed and locked the genome (unless you are dirty mind and still thinks about lemony things).

Eiko Makimachi - December 4th 2003


	10. Back from the nightmare

Dearly Beloved

By Eiko Makimachi

Final Fantasy IX is a copyright of Squaresoft 2000.

The Music _Dearly Beloved_ is a copyright of Yoko Shimomura.

Warning: This story contains shounen-ai and yaoi. If you don't like this kind of things, please go back to the main page of Fanfiction.net.

Chapter 10: Back from the nightmare.

"Majesty!!!! We have found him!!!"

As he heard those words Zidane raised his head and jumped.

"Where is he!? Tell me!!!!"

"We-we saw a strange creature flying towards the Desert Palace, sir. We think your brother might be there and..."

But Zidane didn't wait anymore. He went to his room, packed everything up and run out of the castle. The guards tried to call the queen but Zidane avoided all of them and managed to go outside Alexandria.

__

I have to find Kuja!!!

Kuja looked around. He had a strange dream, he was naked and chained on the wall. It was already morning when he opened his eyes. But something strange happened to him, his body was hurt and he couldn't move.

Then he looked down. No, it wasn't a dream. He wasn't in a good place. First of all, being unable to move and naked aren't good together in his opinion. Second, there was a insane Eidolon Guardian near him that could do anything he wanted with him anytime.

The sunlight was almost invading the whole room when Yoru appeared. Looking to the guardian's face Kuja noticed that Yoru's intentions weren't the best. The smile in Yoru's face grew when he noticed that Kuja wasn't enjoying his position.

"Hello, my dear angel. Have you learned to obey me?" asked Yoru.

But Kuja simply showed his tongue out yelling something that Yoru didn't understand. Angry with the genome, Yoru made the chains get tighter.

"No! Stop it!!!" Shouted Kuja

"Awww, but is so funny hearing you yelling."

__

This guy is disgusting.... Zidane... where are you? Aren't you going to save me?

"I'm coming Kuja!!!"

Zidane was flying above Conde Petie. The Tantalus crew decided to help him and was taking him to the Desert Palace.

"I would waste the eternity looking for you. You are so cute that way..."

Kuja's chains were tighter than anything and he wouldn't resist the pain. But Yoru wanted him to suffer, so the chains were tight but nothing happened to Kuja, no bleeding or bruises.

"Let me go!!!" Kuja yelled.

But noticing that Yoru was smirking to him and looking to his body Kuja stopped and blushed. Better stop it, he thought. The genome knew that shouting would give him more pain.

"You had two options, learning with me or the pain. You chose the pain, so there you are." Said Yoru smirking.

"I didn't choose anything, Yoru!!! Stop looking at me with that face and let me go from those chains!!!"

"Nah, you will stay like that until you learn to obey me."

__

Damn I wish I was really an angel, so I could fly away from here.

It was almost night when Zidane finally reached the Desert Palace. Now it was easy to find Kuja, since there weren't anymore traps on the palace. But he knew that a powerful creature was guarding Kuja, so he started to search for his brother carefully.

"Damn, why Kuja had to made so many rooms here..." he thought when he had already entered on 50 rooms.

When he reached the last floor he listened to a voice singing. He stopped to listen to it carefully, hopping it was Kuja.

__

When the night overcome

I sing so lonely this song

Why should I have been born?

Why can't I be strong?

I'm so lonely, lonely, lonely

I have no friends, I have no one.

It's so cold here, so cold

In this dark cage, alone.

I'm so cold, cold, cold

I have no family, I have no one

It's so quiet here, so quiet

I'm here alone, alone, alone....

Now, I say goodbye...

For myself, for my freedom...

"It must be Kuja."

Zidane followed the song until he reached a very dark room. The door was locked and there weren't any window that could show him who was inside the room. The genome knocked the door and shouted.

"Kuja! Are you here?!"

The fallen angel was so tired. He closed his eyes for a moment and stopped singing. He didn't drink of eat anything since yesterday morning and he was starting to get weak. 

But suddenly he heard a familiar voice. Zidane's voice.

"Zidane...?"

Some minutes then, he heard an answer. "Yes, that's me!!!"

Kuja smiled for a moment, glad to hear again his brother's voice. But as soon as it came, the smile faded when he felt that something wrong was going there.

"Zidane, get out of here!!!"

"What?!" he heard his brother.

"I... don't have time to explain!!! Get out of here now!!!" but them he felt his mind dizzy and he fainted.

"Kuja? Kuja?!"

"So you are the so called Zidane."

Zidane turned to see Yoru glaring at him. He grabbed his daggers and was already on his fight position, but Yoru didn't move an inch. He just smirked and closed his eyes.

"I don't know what Kuja see on you, second soul. You aren't any special."

"Quit talking and release him!!!"

"Oh but I think he isn't on right conditionals to see you." Yoru said smirking.

"Whatever!!! You won't hurt Kuja anymore!!! Show him for me!!!"

"As you wish..."

Yoru unlocked the door and with a floating spell he summoned Kuja. Zidane almost yelled in surprise when he saw his brother. He was naked, white as snow. He seemed to have passed up and he wasn't on healthy conditions.

"What did you do to him?!" Zidane asked with a glare.

"Nothing at all." Said Yoru. "Just punished him for not obeying his master."

Kuja was still floating, like a ghost between them. 

"You...you will pay for it!!!" Zidane shouted, as he charged to attack the eidolon guardian.

"Foolish move. And thinking that you were the one that defeated Kuja..."

Yoru just put his hand in front of him and a barrier appeared in front of him, repealing all Zidane's attack. Zidane continued to try again and again, but Yoru was too strong. Nothing could pass his barrier. Tired, he continued to stare to Yoru.

"Already tired? Come on!!! Don't you want to save your dear brother?"

"Stop laughing!!! I'm gonna kill you!!!" said Zidane as he turned into trance.

__

I'm lonely, lonely, lonely...

"No, you aren't"

Who's there?!

"No one."

I'm feeling so cold, so cold, so cold...

Where I am so?

"You are nowhere, but you are near your love"

Love? What love? All my life was painful. No one love me, no one.

"And your brother?"

My brother... Do I have a brother...?

"Yes, you have"

Brother... Yes, I remember. Blond.... the blue eyes, not cold as mine, but deep blue... the smile, the tail, short hair...That's my brother. But my brother hate me...

"No he doesn't"

No?

"No"

Really?

"If you wake up you will see."

Kuja opened his eyes to find his brother fighting with Yoru. His brother, his love, was defending him with all his will. The icy blue eyes reflected the light of Zidane's Trance and Yoru's spells. Everything around them was set on fire, except where Kuja was. Looking down, he found that his body was protected with a water barrier.

__

Now go and live, my child...

Looking next to him, he found another person watching the fight. The man smiled.

__

This will be our secret, okay?

Then the man vanished and on his place a stone appeared. An aquamarine.

"Leviathan...?" murmured Kuja.

Looking again to the fight, Zidane's Trance faded and Yoru was preparing to give him the fatal attack.

"You will die, second soul, die." The guardian said.

A long, black spear appeared in Yoru's hand.

"I summon the ultimate weapon of darkness!!!"

Kuja kept watching until he noticed what Yoru would do.

"No!!!!!!!" he said as he run towards the battle.

The genome jumped in front of Zidane as Yoru attacked him with the long spear. Zidane looked surprised to his brother, Kuja felt the weapon coming through him and Yoru looking shocked to him. Everything happened so fast, yet slowly in the same time.

Tear started to fall over Zidane's face.

"Kuja..."

Kuja seemed to smile before falling onto the ground.

__

Don't worry Zidane, I'll be always with you...

And his body reached the cold floor.

More tears fell over Zidane's face.

"Kuja..."

But his brother didn't move.

"Kuja!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Kuja was dead. Zidane couldn't believe on it. He started to cry, cursing Yoru and everyone who hated Kuja. Noticing that his brother was holding something, he opened his hands, finding an aquamarine.

"Fool genome." Said Yoru.

"You... you have just killed him and you just say fool genome?!" said Zidane.

"It's not my fault, he sacrificed himself for you."

Zidane hugged his brother's lifeless body. His face was so peaceful, it was like he was only sleeping. But Zidane knew that he would never wake up again. Never.

"Never... Kuja..."

But them, a strong light came out of Kuja's body. It blinded Yoru, as it came out insanely. When Yoru opened his eyes again, the two genomes vanished.

"No... it can't be..."

When Zidane woke up, he and Kuja were again back to Alexandria Castle. Everyone came to see them, but didn't say nothing when they saw Kuja dead.

"I... want to keep him like this, sleeping..." said Zidane.

So, they put clean white clothes on Kuja and decided to put him in a water capsule, like the ones they saw on Terra, where Kuja could be preserved eternally.

"I think Yoru is mad now with us, since he wasn't supposed to kill Kuja and I think we messed up his plans. We should prepare for a huge war. Yoru is really powerful." Said Zidane.

Now, in Zidane's room, a lifeless genome sleeps peacefully, just waiting for his time.

Wow, first 2004 update!!! Commemorating the New Year, this is a LONG chapter. No, that's not the end, this fic is far from ending now. The music Kuja was singing in this fic was written by me, though I don't have a melody for it. The name of this music is _No one_. So, please, if you want to use this music you MUST ask permission for me. Go to  to check out what I'm drawing. Hint: I'll do a drawing about Dearly Beloved soon, so be alert of any update ^_^.

Eiko Makimachi - January 5th 2004


	11. The Eidolon's War Part One: Soul

Dearly Beloved

By Eiko Makimachi

Final Fantasy IX is a copyright of Squaresoft 2000.

The Music _Dearly Beloved_ is a copyright of Yoko Shimomura.

Warning: This story contains shounen-ai and yaoi situations, if you don't like this kind of things, please go back to the main page of Fanfiction.net.

Chapter 11: The Eidolons War part one: Soul.

__

Where... I am?

Kuja woke up in a strange place. He could see bubbles everywhere. Big, small, they were floating in front of him. He was felling sick but he could see someone appearing between the bubbles.

__

Leviathan?

"So Kuja, you finally came back to us." Said the eidolon. 

"Where... I am?" Kuja asked out loud.

The eidolon just floated right in front of Kuja and kept smiling.

" Your tomb, or better, where you dear brother let you resting after you died."

Kuja looked shocked. "Died?"

"Oh well, we don't have time to explain everything, you must go with me." Said Leviathan, pulling Kuja with him.

__

What...?

They appeared in a white space. Nothing was there, only air, maybe. Kuja looked around scared and looked back to the man with bluish long hair who seemed to be looking for something.

"All Eidolons, protectors of Gaia, I summon you all, brothers, to discuss the young's future." Said Leviathan.

As he said it, lots of other eidolons appeared in front of him, in their spirit form. The first was Shiva, which appeared as a young girl, not much older than Kuja, with white dress, white face, blue eyes and long hair, with the same pointy ears. Then Ifrit, as a man more or less the same age as Kuja, with red hair and eyes. After him appeared Bahamut, as a man with the same age as Leviathan, with long black hair and red eyes, wearing a kind of black armor. The next one was Atomos, as a chubby man with deep black eyes. Fenrir appeared as a young man with white hair wearing blue outfit. Ramuh didn't change much, he was the same old man that he looks like when summoned, thought a bit shorter. Carbuncle appeared as a little boy with green hair and a red jewel on her forehead. Odin appeared as the same, but without his horse. Phoenix appeared as a woman with gold hair and red, golden eyes. Madden appeared as a little moogle with a ribbon on her head and the last one, Ark, appeared as a tall man with black outfit and white long hair. All of them stared at Kuja and looked back to Leviathan.

"Alexander would never accept this boy as the protector of light, since HE was one of those who attacked him at Alexandria." Said Ifrit.

"And he controlled us like puppets, he's not worthy of being the Light Guardian." Said Bahamut.

"I know the young did lots of wrong things in the past, but I have found a way to recover his memory back and I read it, seems like he was corrupted by the old Garland. I think we should give him a new chance." Defended Leviathan.

"No way." Said Odin.

"I agree with Leviathan, I think we should give the genome a new chance." Said Ramuh.

"Well who is in favor for at least give him back his memory?" asked Leviathan. Ramuh, Shiva, Carbuncle, Ark, Phoenix, Fenrir and Leviathan himself raised their hands.

"So, Kuja, you may come here."

Kuja walked to the center of the group. "What will you do to me?"

"Recover your memory. It might hurt a bit, so relax." Said Leviathan, forcing Kuja to close his eyes.

__

Memory that have gone, memory that have come

Return to this body.

All mighty past, all mighty time

Oh, please, go back to his mind.

"Aaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhh" screamed Kuja. It was like when Yoru touched his forehead, images were trying to invade his mind so fast that it hurt him. Images of Garland, images of Zidane and Mikoto, images of war and angst. 

"So... how are you felling, young child?" asked Ramuh.

Kuja opened his eyes slightly. "So that's me. That's my past... Now everything is clear to me..."

"Now, Kuja, your destiny is in our hands. You soul, as Yoru said, is an eidolon soul. But it seems that your soul, before trapped in a body and reborn as you, Kuja, the Dark Messenger, the Fallen Angel, was the one that would become the Light Guardian." Explained Leviathan.

"You know the Dark Guardian. It's Yoru. The Terrans didn't know how to recognize the two guardians and mistook him with the Light Guardian, putting the Dark Guardian's soul on Yoru's body. Yoru is meaning and don't think much to destroy everything. You would be the one who would be the savor of Terra, but everything had gone wrong." Continued Ramuh.

"But you did a lot of wrong things as Garland's puppet. And now, we don't know if you should return to life and become the Light Guardian after sacrificing yourself for your brother's life or turn into a poor soul who will be punished for the eternity." Said Ark.

"I see..." said Kuja.

"But now you can prove that you can still be alive." Said Leviathan. "Yoru know the existence of the Light Guardian and he suspects that you are the guardian. And he is furious with Zidane since he messed up his plans and now is attacking Alexandria with all his powers." 

Kuja thought a bit about the situation. That was too much things to understand, but still it seemed to be really important. All his life, now he remembers, he lived alone so he didn't even care what would happen to the rest of the world. But now... he had the feeling that he does care about everyone. That if he doesn't agree with the eidolons, he would loose someone or something special.

"Soon the war where all the eidolons will fight on the guardian's side will happen. Remember the aquamarine that you were holding before dying?" asked Leviathan.

"Yes... but I'm not with it anymore." Said Kuja, looking to his hand.

"Your brother had it after putting you in the water capsule. You will return to fight against Yoru as an Eidolon."

"How come?" asked Kuja. "There is no way of someone summon me, they don't have anything that contains the power to summon me."

Leviathan shook his head. "Yes, there is a way. The stone that I gave to you, it might be glowing now that you recovered your memories. Soon it will change to another kind of jewel, that we still don't know which one. That will be the way to Zidane summon you."

"Hum... okay...." said Kuja.

"Now, we have to wait until Yoru's anger starts to attack Alexandria..." said Ark. All the eidolons and Kuja sat down, waiting for their time.

Everything was quiet, everyone had left Alexandria. Only Garnet, Vivi, Steiner, Quina, Freya, Amarant, Eiko, Regent Cid, Beatrix with all the Alexandria and Lindbum soldiers, Mikoto and Zidane stood at the city, waiting for the worst.

"Zidane, something is glowing in your pocket." Said Vivi

The genome took the aquamarine that his brother was holding. "That's strange... Maybe Kuja is giving us a signal?"

As he finished the sentence, something fell from the sky. The blue sky gave place to dark storm clouds and thunders. Dragons appeared from nowhere and started to attack Alexandria. Beatrix ordered all the soldiers to defend the town. It was a real chaos, houses destroyed, soldiers dying, all in front of Alexandria's queen's eyes. That was 10 times worst than when they were fighting against Kuja and Eternal Darkness. 

Than, something fell from the sky and opened it's wings. It was Yoru, already holding the Dark Spear that killed Kuja. 

"You messed up all the plans!!! Terra will never rise again!!! I will destroy you all!!!"

"No you won't!!!" shouted Zidane.

"It's your fault that I'll destroy everything. You destroyed my destruction puppet!!!"

"Kuja was not a toy!!!! He had feelings!!!" yelled Zidane. He started to cry. "And it wasn't, it wasn't my fault that... that..."

"That your beloved lover died. Well he was just a toy so..."

"Stop it!!!" it was Garnet's time to yell. "Stop it, you demon!!! I can't stand what you are saying, I can't!!!"

Garnet entered in Trance. She summoned all the eidolons at once. Shiva, Ifrit, Bahamut, all of them attacked Yoru at the same time, but they couldn't do anything, just keep attacking the barrier that protected Yoru.

"I... can't believe." Said Garnet.

Eiko appeared and summoned all her summons as well, but without any effect. Carbuncle tried to protect everyone with his Ruby Light, but Yoru attacked everything with fire, exploding everything. That was a terror, Zidane thought, and the chaos.

Zidane and his friends were trying to attack Yoru as well, but lots of them got injured with the rain of fireballs and now Yoru started to attack them with thunders. 

"Garnet!!! Our last hope is summoning Alexander!!!" shouted Eiko.

The two summoners, protected by Zidane and the other eidolons, started the summoning of Alexander. The eidolon's wings appeared, protecting Alexandria from the attacks, like when Bahamut attacked some years ago. But when Alexander counter-attacked, his holy magic only made Yoru's barrier vanish, but it didn't hurt the guardian.

More fireballs started to fall. One of them fell next to Garnet and Eiko. Zidane run to help the two, but with the flames and smoke, the two had fainted. Zidane was felling dizzy too and his vision started to blurry. He continued trying to find them, but he fell on the ground as well, tired and injured. Still conscious, he noticed that the aquamarine was now shining. Picking it with his hand, he noticed that the aquamarine had turned into a transparent jewel with a strange light coming from it's center. Before losing his conscious, he held the jewel with his hands and closed his eyes.

__

I wish I can see you again, even in heaven...

Kuja... be safe somewhere...

Yoru stopped to attack, since he felt that everyone had died in the middle of the flames of his fireballs. But suddenly started to rain. The rain turned into storm and even Yoru got scared about this phenomenal. The rain cleaned everything at Alexandria, finishing with the fire. Drops of water fell on Zidane, Garnet, Eiko, everyone. The stone in Zidane's hand disappeared. A light appeared between the rain clouds, and something with white wings appeared.

"Who are you!?"

The white wings that were hiding it's owner opened revealing a person with silver hair that suddenly opened it's amethyst eyes, showing all the power behind it.

"No it can't be!!! You are... you are..." started Yoru.

A long staff appeared on the person's hand. The rain stopped.

"Kuja... it's you...."

The person's mouth opened.

"I'm the Light Guardian, prepare to die!!!"

__

The Light Guardian have been summoned

The Light Guardian have been summoned

Dark Guardian, that' s your end

Dark Guardian, that's your destiny

The white angel will save us

The holy judgement have arrived

Prepare to perish, prepare to vanish

Oh, the Light Guardian has been summoned.

Author's notes: Sorry, I started school these days and I was kinda busy. And my computer wasn't working, only now I was able to write this chapter. The poem in the end of this chapter is a song that the eidolons would sang when the Holy Judgement of the Light Guardian arrives. Now you could say that we are in the climax of the story, since the real war started now. I think the war will be divided in 3 or 4 chapters, but I might change it lately. My homepage in DeviantArt have now lots of Kuja's pictures, as well as Dearly Beloved Fanart. So if you want to visit me in DA, be welcome.

Eiko Makimachi - February 7th 2004


	12. The Eidolon's War Part Two: Jealously

Dearly Beloved

By Eiko Makimachi

__

Final Fantasy IX copyright Squaresoft 2000.

The music _Dearly Beloved_ is a copyright of Yoko Shimomura.

Warning: This story contains shounen-ai and yaoi situations, if you don't like this kind of things, please go back to the main page of Fanfiction.net.

Chapter 12: The Eidolons War part two: Jealously

"I'm the Light Guardian, prepare to die!"

The Eidolons War had started and Gaia's fate was on someone's hands who once tried to destroy this planet. Kuja appeared in his eidolon form, wearing the same clothes when he was put by Zidane in the water capsule, a kimono. But there were something different on the white kimono, the sleeves were shorter and somehow the orange ribbon that was tied up on Kuja's waist was longer than normal. He looked so much like his trance, with the white wings. But he wasn't in trance, not anymore. How could he, being dead?

"Kuja..." said Yoru.

"Yoru! Stop that!!! Why do you want to destroy Gaia?" shouted Kuja.

Yoru flew towards Kuja and stopped right in front of him. "So you were the Light Guardian... how funny is fate... fight with you again..."

Kuja grabbed his long staff. Blue metal, with a half moon in the end. The moon had two stones on it, one under it, between the staff and the moon, that was an emerald. But the other stone was on the end of each edge of the moon, shining like it had light itself.

"Yoru... I asked you something! Please answer me!"

"Hum... why I want to destroy this planet... You know I really don't know the reason." Yoru said sarcastic.

"You do have a reason, but I bet you don't want to tell me!"

Yoru smirked. "You sound so much like a girl talking like that. It enjoys me."

Kuja blushed a little but still holding his staff and pointing it to Yoru. The Dark Angel picked his own Dark Spear and pointed to Kuja.

"If it's a fight you want, a fight you will have."

Both Guardians attacked each other. When the staff and the spear went in contact, lights of shock and power appeared, but their owners didn't care, they just kept attacking and attacking.

"That is...."

The rain was still falling. Drops fell on Zidane's face, making the blond genome open his eyes. For once he thought he was dead, but then he noticed the sparks of light coming from the sky. He sat up and looked to the sky.

"Someone... an eidolon is fighting Yoru..." he said weakly. But them he looked with more attention to the strange eidolon with white wings.

"It's... it's..."

The fight continued. Everyone, Garnet, Vivi, Eiko, they recovered their conscious and were looking to what was going on.

"That's scary." Said Vivi.

"I can't stand anymore." Said Garnet.

"Please, someone say that it's ending!!!" cried Eiko.

"No, it isn't."

They both turned to Zidane, who was pointing to the sky. He couldn't believe it, it was a miracle.

"It's.... my brother..."

"Kuja!!! I don't want to repeat the fight I had with you again so let me go and destroy everything!"

"Not in a million of times, if I die or you die, that's meaningless!!! You won't destroy this world!!!"

"Meaningless?! We dying is meaningless?! What are you talking about?!"

The two Guardians stopped attacking. The war was still in the beginning.

"I summon the power of darkness, come to me my spear!!!!" yelled Yoru.

"I summon the light power!!! Please protect us, my staff!!!" said Kuja.

No, this war was still far from the end. The power of the guardians was rising and was emanating from them. The scene was so scary... their fight. It was like an apocalypse was happening right in front of people's eyes. As the eidolon said, it was like the Final Judgement of Alexander... or the End of the World...

"So.... if is that way you want... it will be your way..."

Yoru hold his spear pointing to the clouds... Lightening thunders appeared to be attracted by it. Yoru pointed the spear to Kuja and the thunders flew like eagles in the genome's direction. Kuja on the other hand pointed directly to the attack, casting Thundaga as well. The shock of spells created a big explosion, like fireworks. The magic war got more intense, with Firaga and Waterga, then Blizzaga and Thundaga again. The jolts of magic were destroying Alexandria. Yes, it was like the end of the world.

"Kuja, don't make me use the guardians secret powers on you!!! You might be the Light Guardian, but I know that you still don't know about your own powers!!!" said Yoru, holding his spear to defend the Ultima spell that Kuja cast on him.

"What?!"

"You don't leave me any choice." Said Yoru

The dark guardian picked his spear and hold it right in front of his face, in a vertical position. 

__

Dark power... be all summoned into this spear...

The spear got a purple aura.

"I did it once... I won't regret of doing it again!" Yoru said, throwing the spear right in Kuja's chest.

Zidane was looking everything from the city and saw the spear flying and passing through his brother's body like when he got killed.

"Nooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!" Tears falling.

Kuja was still floating. Blood came out of him just like when he got killed to save Zidane. But he smiled. A scary smile. He laughed and put his hand on his chest, covering the spear's injury.

"That's... all you can do?" he said laughing.

Yoru couldn't believe that.

"You know... " Kuja said, still with the hand on his chest." I'm already dead, but I still have a long journey..."

The dark spear that remained on Kuja's body lost it's aura. Kuja puts both hands on the spear and pulled it out of his chest. The injury started to recover like magic.

"That's... Impossible!!!"

Zidane looked back. What the heck was his brother doing?

"I may not know the secrets of magic... but I know that Garland told me about the powers of the Light Guardian... one of those is the recovery.... The eidolon that became my soul was a healing eidolon." Said Kuja.

Blood was flowing on the spear. The injury got recovered like magic.

"And... for you spell.... Garland said that inverting the prays nullifies the magic."

__

Raeps siht otni denommus lla eb... krad rewop!

"And now... your spear is useless." Kuja said, throwing the spear to Yoru.

The Dark Guardian didn't move. The spear fell. It hit the floor, useless.

"I might have lost my weapon...." said Yoru. "But I have the same spell as you, Kuja. I'm immortal, no one can kill me, I'll be healing one, two, three times if I need."

Kuja stopped.

"Don't you see?" said Yoru. "It's useless. We will fight for the eternity. You can't kill me, as well as I can't kill you."

Garnet looked to her clock. It has passed only some minutes, but it seemed like they were fighting for hours. They couldn't continue fighting, Gaia would be destroyed. But she couldn't do anything, it was out of her hands.

"Zidane... they have to stop."

"But... how?" asked Zidane.

"I don't know, but we'll get destroyed if they continue like that!"

"I think Kuja know about this, but Yoru... he doesn't want to listen to my brother."

Garnet looked up. The guardians had stopped and now were staring at each other, like eagles. She held Zidane's hands between hers.

"Promise me something."

"Huh?" 

"No matter what, don't stop watching Kuja."

"But why are you telling me that?" Zidane said raising an eyebrow.

"Just don't stop."

Yoru smirked. Kuja didn't enjoy that, he knew the Dark Guardian had at least one more move. He looked down.

"Kuja... I don't want to fight against you.... but..."

Pause.

"But.... You will never pay attention to me!!! No one will care about me!!! Only the Terrans used to care about me, but now I'm alone in this world and-".

Yoru glanced down. To Zidane's direction.

"I fell in love with you... since you were born... but you never gave me attention..."

Kuja looked to Zidane as well.

"But now I know why you never noticed me. Because of this boy!" Yoru said.

Kuja's eyes widened.

"Zidane!!!!! Run!!!!!!!!" yelled the genome.

As he finished the sentence, Yoru flew directly to Zidane. Kuja looked in panic and flew after Yoru. No, not Zidane... Yoru could kill him millions of times but he had to leave Zidane out of it. But deep inside Kuja knew what Yoru feels. He too passed long years without anyone for him. He flew in high speed to protect Zidane.

"Die, second soul!!!"

"No!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Kuja entered in between Zidane and Yoru. "If you want to kill him, you have to kill me!"

Yoru stopped. "Like I would be able to, you are already dead."

"Whatever!"

A single tear fell on Yoru's cheek. "Kuja..."

Jealous, fear, angry, everything could be seen on Yoru's face. He felt like he would blow up everything just now, but on the other hand he felt like he would cry as well.

Kuja noticed that. He turned to Zidane.

"Zidane, don't be angry with me." He murmured, leaving his brother confused.

"Please, don't be." He murmured again.

Kuja flew towards Yoru and stood right in front of him. Yoru looked astonished to Kuja, not knowing what the Light Guardian wanted to do. Kill him? Okay, he couldn't be killed, he was an immortal as well. Maybe just punch him.

The looked to the golden eyes with his blue, purple ones. Yoru always like Kuja by this, his eyes, they were so mysterious. He could be smiling, but sad, emotionless and yet happy. But now he wished he could know what Kuja was thinking. Soon he would find out what.

"I know how you feel." 

As he said that, Kuja hugged Yoru, surprising everyone, Zidane and Yoru at the same time.

"You are not alone in this world. You have me, as well as I have Zidane..."

Yoru didn't know what to do. What was that about?

"So, don't cry."

The end of the war was near. But now Kuja was between two choices: Yoru or Zidane.

Author's notes: Damn, I think this chapter isn't good, but well, there you are. Oops, I think I did cliffhanger again, I have to stop doing that or people will kill me *runs from her fans*.

Eiko Makimachi - March 13th 2004


	13. The Eidolon's War Part Three: End

Dearly Beloved

By Eiko Makimachi 

Final Fantasy is a copyright of Squaresoft 2000.

The music _Dearly Beloved_ is a copyright of Yoko Shimomura.

Yoru is a copyright of Eiko Makimachi 2003. All rights reserved.

Warning: This story contains shounen-ai and yaoi situations. If you don't know or don't like that kind of stuff, please hit the "back" button.

Chapter 13: The Eidolons War part 3: End

"So don't cry."

The world stopped at this moment. Yoru didn't know what was going on, Kuja's attitude was confusing. His mind was blank, he couldn't think in anything, like Kuja had sent his mind to other place. What was that? What was that? What was that? This sentence kept coming and going in his mind.

"I don't understand you... You fool..." He said, hugging back after the shock.

As he did it, Kuja let his staff go. "It ended.... It's over...."

But when he finished his sentence, the genome started to vanish. Then he remembered. He was an eidolon now, eidolons are only spirits. When they don't need to fight anymore, they return to the spirit world. He would never see Gaia anymore. He wouldn't see Zidane more. He smiled sadly and looked back to his brother.

"Be safe..." That were his final words before disappearing like smoke.

Yoru looked to where Kuja was. He finally understood what was love. But the dearest person for him loved another one, and now he vanished as well. He wanted to die, but how could he? He was immortal, he couldn't die. Feeling angry with himself, Yoru fell from the sky, closing his eyes, cursing himself. When he hit the floor, he remained unconscious. The Gaian people could punish him, he didn't care anymore. It was everything his fault.

That was the end of the Eidolons War. The war that marked Gaia's story and the royal family.

"He vanished.... like smoke..."

Zidane looked to the sky. His brother was dead again. Dead. He didn't want to, but he cried. More than Yoru himself, he cried out loud for his brother, the most dearest person from his life.

"Kuja..."

"Zidane.... he will be fine with the eidolons..... I'm sure he is in good hands now" said Garnet.

"I don't care.... he is gone.... gone!"

Meanwhile, somewhere else, the eidolons were reunited with Alexander to decide something very important. What was Kuja's destiny?

"Eidolons, I have just decided." Said Alexander. "As for his participation in the lately war..."

Everyone looks nervously to Alexander, waiting to his final word.

"I decided that Kuja, genome from Terra, will have another chance in the living world. But he will leave as a guardian now, so his destiny is to take care of the dark guardian, so we won't have any problems with him anymore."

Kuja heard that happily. He would be alive again. Alive! He would be able to see Zidane again, but...

"And what will happen to Yoru?"

"He will be alive as well, with the same condition that we gave to you. You two have now to leave together, take care of each other, so any of you will have problems again." Said Odin.

"Leave.... together?"

That means... he wouldn't be able to leave together with Zidane. He would have to take care of Yoru. Deep inside, he liked the dark guardian. But he wanted to be with Zidane. That was his only wish.

"Time to go, Kuja." Said Shiva.

"Good bye everyone.... I'll miss you all." Kuja said, before being sent to Alexandria.

Some Alexandria's soldiers were guarding the capsule where Kuja's body remained peacefully sleeping. Zidane said that they couldn't let anything happen to his brother, not even a bruise. But for their surprise, suddenly the body moved a bit. At first they thought it was only their imagination, but then it opened it's eyes. Then it opened it's mouth, trying to shout and moving it's arms. Then, suddenly the capsule exploded. The soldiers, scared, run away, trying to find Zidane and tell him what happened.

The creature stood up and, with hair on it's face, tried to see where he was. Kuja's mind was confused, where he was, what happened, there were lots of messed up information flowing in his mind. 

He heard people running. Looking to the left, he ended up face to face with his brother, Zidane. Zidane didn't know what to say. His brother was alive. 

"Kuja...."

Kuja's eyes widened. Now he remembered everything.

"... don't cry..."

"... Yoru!"

"Kuja!!!!!!"

"I don't understand you..."

"Be safe..."

"He will be alive as well"

"...Take care of each other..."

The last thought hit him like a dagger on the chest. He had to say it to Zidane, he had to, before going away from the genome's arms.

"Zidane..."

He run. Run to Zidane's arms. His brother hugged him back, crying.

"I thought I would never see you again... But... now you are here... in my arms..." he said.

Kuja looked up. The blond genome froze. Why was his brother with such a sad face? Wasn't he happy to see him?

"Zidane... I'm back.... but... not for you...."

Time stopped.

"The eidolons gave me back the right to live... but for that... I'd have to sacrifice the dearest thing on my life..." the fallen angel said with his weak voice.

"The... dearest thing....?"

"You...." He said, as he kissed Zidane. A long kiss.

"I'll have... to sacrifice... our love..."

As he said it, Yoru, who was on the prison, woke up from his silent sleep. He looked very weak now. Strange people were looking at him like they wanted something from him. But now the weakness on his body was so that he couldn't even stand up.

"I'm tired.... let me rest now...."

Meanwhile, Kuja and Zidane were still hugging each other. It was like Zidane would loose Kuja. In Kuja's mind, on the other hand, he knew that he had already lost Zidane.

Kuja went away from Zidane's arms.

"Where is Yoru?"

Now, Zidane understood what was the condition. The cruel condition.

"Go upstairs, then turn right, is the last cell."

Kuja would sacrifice his love... for Yoru's love. He looked his brother walking upstairs when the silver genome stopped and looked back.

"But you know, Zidane, you will always be my dearly beloved brother... and my love." He said, smiling like a naughty kid who had just noticed that he did something wrong.

Angels and sunlight will come

When the Final Judgement is done

To announce the new future for us

To announce the new future for us.

I wanna stay with you for all my life

I wanna look forever to your eyes

But I can't, I can't stay with you

I'll have to drift away without you.

When the Final Judgement is done

All darkness will forever be gone

To announce the end of a war

To announce the tinkle of a new star

I wanna feel your hands on my hair

Why isn't life so much fair

But I can't change the world

I'll have to go away from you.

I wish... that I was able to stay.

But I can't, I have to go

I have to, to go away.

Kuja hold his tears. He wouldn't cry, he wouldn't, he promised himself that he wouldn't. But it wasn't easy. He closed his eyes. Night was falling outside and he could feel the fresh breeze carrying on his hair, entering by the small windows from the prison. 

"..."

Walking through the cells, he could hear lots of buglars, murderers and kidnappers fighting and cursing. As he passed in front of their cells he could hear them talking about him.

"... another one..."

"... if the other is cute, this one is cuter..."

"... what a thing like that is doing here...?"

He didn't care. The last cell, the darkest one, was his goal.

"Is he going to see that one..."

"... that strange guy...?"

He stopped. A guard opened the cell so he could walk in. 

Now he was in front of his future. In front of the person that he would have love for the rest of his life.

"Yoru... wake up."

Author's notes: Okay, short chapter, sorry for the laziness, I'm kinda busy those days. Well, the poem, or better, Kuja's theme song that I created (so do not try to use those lyrics on the ORIGINAL theme song) was created by me, so please ask permission if you want to use the poem. 

I Can't is a copyright of Eiko Makimachi 2004. All rights reserved.

Well, I would like to thanks Angel of Death 87, LeFox and Kuja Akuma for following this story since it was created, you helped me a lot, thank you.

Eiko Makimachi - May 8th 2004


	14. Back to Reality

Dearly Beloved

By Eiko Makimachi

__

Dearly Beloved Ó Yoko Shimomura

Yoru ® Eiko Makimachi 2003. All rights reserved.

Final Fantasy IX ™ Squaresoft 2000.

Warning: This story contains yaoi and shounen-ai implications, if you don't like it, go back to the previous page. Don't send me any flames about this, I have warned.

Chapter 14: Back to the Reality.

Yoru woke up and looked to Kuja. His head hurt, arms, cut, but nothing could be worse than his own heart. His spirit was broken.

"Yoru, wake up, it's me, Kuja."

The Dark Guardian tried to stand up, but it was useless, his weak feet couldn't stand his weight. Kuja got him up and helped him stand up.

"Let's go, Yoru." He said smiling.

Kuja, deep inside, found that he also like Yoru, but he couldn't forget Zidane. A tear fell from his eyes, but Yoru didn't notice it. The two got out of the prison.

After that everything happened so fast, Garnet said that they would leave in a small house near Alexandria, so they could visit the city anytime they want, Zidane's farewell, Yoru in the prison. But after what seemed to be just seconds they were in front of their home.

The small house was near the river that passes through Alexandria's castle. It was white as snow, with a large garden in front of it. Behind, large and beautiful trees grew next to the river. In front of the house, there were two other trees.

Kuja looked to them. The two were very tall, with small leaves and a nice fragrance. But one was dark as the night, with silver leaves and very dark wood. But the other was so white, with golden leaves and the fairest wood he ever seen.

Yoru looked as well and whispered softly. "I can't believe they got those trees..."

The genome looked to him. "Why?"

"Those trees are very rare... where one grows, the other grows together."

"Hum... I liked them." Kuja said, holding Yoru's hand.

"... I like them too..."

Months passed and Zidane was defying. He still couldn't forget Kuja. He remained in his own room, not eating, not drinking, not feeling the fresh air that passed through the gates of the castle. He had lost weight and his hair grew wildly.

Garnet tried to help him cheer up, but it was useless. Zidane refused to get out of his room. He would get sick, or worse, die for his brother.

On the other hand, Kuja didn't seem happier. Although he smiled, Yoru noticed that he was somehow melancholic, far from people. Another thing he noticed is that the white tree started to die, it was sick inside. The leaves were falling like snow. Yes, the tree was dying.

Yoru and Kuja were having a more or less "married" life. Yoru started to write a book about his past, while Kuja was taking care of the garden. For some reason, as Kuja noticed, he got a strange feeling for plants, which was odd, since he never cared about them until now.

But he couldn't save the white tree. He tried casting all the healing spells, tried even to use the traditional way, manually, without magic.

As for it, Yoru started to feel sad, and at the same time, the black tree started to die as well. The Dark Guardian looked to Kuja in the garden and felt that something was wrong. At night, he called Kuja for a talk.

Kuja was wearing just a white robe, his hair was wet and messy, but he didn't care much about it. He stopped being the narcissist he was before loosing his memories. Maybe because Zidane said that even with his hairdo messed up he looked pretty.

Yoru sat on the bed and took Kuja's hand between his own.

"Kuja... I have something really serious to tell you..."

"What, Yoru?" asked Kuja softly.

Kuja asked again. "What do you want to tell me, Yoru?"

The Dark Guardian shook his head. "Kuja, are you happy being with me?"

The genome sat next to him and smiled. "Of course I am, this is a lovely place, everything is okay... and I'm with you."

Yoru hugged him. "But... don't you feel something wrong?"

"... I can't say it... After all I agreed with them... and... I can't..."

His speech was broken by Yoru's hand. Kuja blushed a little and took off Yoru's hand from his mouth.

"I know you miss him, you will get ill if you keep acting like this... I'm not a child, I can take care of myself."

"But... what about the eidolons...? They..."

Yoru kissed him. Kuja stopped, blushing. After the shock, he hugged Yoru, crying. They remained like that for some minutes, but for the lovers it could be called eternity. Yoru let him go and blinked a bit. Taking a brush he started to comb Kuja's hair.

"Don't worry, I think that if you still take care of me, but leave your heart with him... the eidolons will understand..."

Kuja blinked his amethyst eyes.

"Besides... I think I love you more as a little brother... than a lover itself." He completed, smiling.

The Light Guardian smiled. How ironic is love... the one who was supposed to love him with brotherly love fell in love with him. But the another one who was supposed to like him as a lover... finally found out that he liked him more as a relative than a lover. Kuja laughed weakly and rested his body on Yoru's chest.

"Thank you... Yoru."

In the morning, Kuja woke up and found Yoru preparing his bags. He looked confused but then remembered about his talk with the Dark Guardian.

"Yoru, are you sure...?"

Yoru laughed. "Oh, c'mon, little brother, it's time to wake up! And when your nee-san says something, he is always sure about it!"

__

Little brother... Nee-san....

"You're right." Said Kuja, jumping from the bed happily.

They couldn't teleport or fly to Alexandria, so they picked two chocobos, one black and one white.

"Are... we going to ride on it?" said Kuja anxiously.

"Oh, don't tell me you never rode a chocobo?"

"Err... actually no."

"Geez, I can't believe you had already owned a silver dragon... being afraid of a chocobo..."

"I'm not afraid of this... this thing!"

Yoru smirked. "Oh, really?"

"Yeah!"

"Okay, so get on it!"

Kuja got on his white chocobo quite nervously. With his bag on his back he looked for Yoru, who was riding his black chocobo. Then, without warning him, Yoru shouted to his white chocobo.

"Go!"

"KWEEE"

The chocobo flapped its wings. Kuja looked desperately to Yoru. Then, the chocobo jumped and ran as fast as he could, followed by Yoru's black chocobo.

"Yoooruuuuu!!!! I'll kiiilll yooouuuuu!!!! Stooop thaaat stupid thiiiiiiing!!!!!!!!" yelled Kuja.

"No way, I want to arrive in the castle as soon as we can."

"Eeeeeepppp!!!!" said Kuja. "Stop thaaaat!!!!!!!!"

Yoru just laughed.

"O-o-oh, goodn-ness, can't you at l-least s-stop jum-jumping like that!!!" shouted Kuja as the chocobo continued jumping, completely ignoring him.

They stopped in the middle of the trip to rest. Kuja jumped from his chocobo quite furious.

"Why-didn't-you-stop-that-thing?!"

"Aw, deep inside you liked it, didn't you?"

"No way, it messed up all my hair, my butt hurts and I'm tired!!!"

Yoru called a moogle and bought some food. "Anyway, you still look gorgeous, Zidane won't find anything horrible on you."

"That's... not... the... point!!!"

"Geez, you are a typical little brother, are you sure you are older than Zidane."

"I'm so sure that I'm taller than him!"

"Being taller doesn't mean you are older."

"Oh... whatever!!!" Kuja ended, taking an apple and biting it.

They continued their journey. Of course, with Kuja's complains about the poor chocobo. As they entered in Alexandria, they left the chocobos in the entrance and continued on foot. Yoru changed to his human for, Bakura, to call less attention.

The first thing they noticed was a statue. It was a big statue of three little genomes. One, with short hair, seemed to be Zidane in his early 8. The other, with short hair and holding the hand of a third one, was Mikoto for sure. Then, they saw the third figure. It was a young genome, 16 years more or less, with long hair. It was Kuja for sure, but there was something wrong. He was smiling in the statue.

"But... I never used to smile that way when I was 16..."

Yoru read the information about the stature. "The three genomes. To remember the three brothers who would sacrifice their lives for each other."

Kuja looked confused, but continued with Yoru his way to the castle. During the way, he asked a girl about the statue. The little girl looked to it.

"Oh that statue, sir? Mr. Zidane asked to put this in the entrance of the city. After his brother and sister left him to continue their life he asked for the queen, Miss Garnet, to put this statue. Looks like it remembers him of his family or something..."

The girl looked to Kuja a little bit. "But sir... you look like a lot the older brother, the one holding the hand of that little girl."

At this Kuja froze. "Oh, just a coincidence... I think..."

The girl continued. "Anyway, it seems that specially after this brother disappeared Mr. Zidane became gravely ill... "

"Ill? How come?"

"I don't know, sir. He got depressed, told the soldiers; the queen doesn't like to talk about it very much. No one can visit him, only his closest friends."

"Thank you very much, young lady." Said Kuja, continuing his way.

The girl blushed a little. "You welcome."

"I think she liked you, Kuja." Said Yoru, laughing.

"Oh well..." said Kuja. "Anyway, I'm getting worried. She said Zidane is ill."

"We better hurry so. We are almost there." Said Yoru.

As they arrived to the lake that separates the city from the castle of Alexandria two guards blocked their way. Kuja tried to pass but they just refused on letting him get the boat to cross the lake. Yoru tried as well, but it seems that what the girl told them was true. No one could visit Zidane.

"Oh goodness, not even his brother can visit him?!" yelled Kuja.

"Well, if he appears. No one has ever heard about him from the last months."

Kuja just sighed. "Oh well, what if I say..."

"Say what?" asked one of the guards.

"That I'm his damn brother can't you see that I'm Kuja and that I have a tail like his but silver?!?!?!"

Yoru calmed down him. "Okay, Kuja, but if you keep talking without any pauses in the middle of your sentences you will die without air."

"Thanks for remembering me _now _about it." Said Kuja. "Anyway, can I go visit my brother now?"

"Sure you can sir. Please follow me." Said the guard.

Zidane was looking to the window sadly when he noticed something unusual. Someone was coming to the castle, maybe a doctor or Garnet's friend... Or his own friends maybe. But he just sighed, he wished it was Kuja.

"Kuja..."

He sat again on his bed, playing with his own hair. He wanted to die like that, sleeping, but life was a torture for him and he knew that someone up there really rated him.

"Why, Alexander, why don't you just take my soul to heaven?"

Then someone knocked. "Mr. Zidane?"

"I don't want to see anyone." He replied.

"Not even your brother, Zidane?" said a soft voice.

Zidane raise his eyes to meet two other amethyst ones blinking to him. "Oh, Zidane, I missed you so much!" the person said.

"Kuja?"

Kuja smiled. "Yes, it's me, Zidane." He said, crying. He jumped on Zidane's arms, who caught his brother and hugged him tightly.

"Kuja, I can't believe! It's you! I missed you!" The blond said.

Yoru smiled and turned into his real form again. The guards prepared to attack him, but Kuja stopped them.

"No, he is my friend!!! He can enter!" He said.

"Are you sure, Mr. Zidane?"

"Do as my brother said, let him go."

The guards left, allowing Yoru to enter. He sat next to the two brothers, smiling. Zidane looked to Yoru, noticing that something had changed on him. He was calm now, pure, so unlike the Yoru who wanted to destroy Gaia.

"But Kuja, shouldn't you be with..."

Kuja placed his finger on Zidane's lips. "We are moving."

"Moving?"

"Yes" Kuja said, still smiling.

"When?"

"Now, Zidane."

"Now? Where are you going?!" the blond said, surprised.

Yoru took Kuja's hand. "Well, you don't mind if we stay here now, don't you?"

Zidane thought a bit. He forgot about Yoru's conditions. He and Kuja were together now. Would he resist to Kuja while seeing he kissing another man? It would be a risk to take, but it would be better than never seeing Kuja again.

"Well, we are not really moving, but we have to give an answer for some questions." Said Kuja.

"What?" asked Zidane.

"Zidane, I'm going to leave with you." Said Kuja.

"But... and Yoru?"

Yoru smiled. "That's why we have to live now in the castle, don't we?"

"And the eidolons' judgement...?"

Kuja took Zidane's face and kissed him softly. "I would rather go to hell than live an eternity without you."

"Besides, I think you need him more than I." said Yoru.

Zidane couldn't believe in what he heard. Kuja was back, and he was still in love with him!

__

Forget what I told you, Alexander... I want to live a bit more...

Author's notes: Yes, I finally updated it!!!! And now, some things I have been thinking:

1. Shounen-ai/Yaoi flames I have been receiving since I started writing this story: Well, maturity comes with ages, but yet there are some really immature people who are older than me that just see yaoi/shounen-ai/yuri as a perverted thing (hentai). It's not my fault that I'm 14/15 and has already understood that it's just a different way of seeing the world. And I'm completely in favor of straight relations in a story. In fact, most of my original characters and mangás that I'm working now are straight.

2. My trip: Okay, I'll be travelling for the whole July, so no updates for a long time. I'll be in the USA so I won't be able to update my fanfictions, my blog (journal) and my DeviantART gallery.

Miscellaneous numbers here in :

You are on the favorites list of 12 members. (yay!)  
You are on the author alert watch list of 6 members. (yay!)  
You have submitted a total of 277 signed reviews. (God knows how much I like to read)  
Total words archived : 39,044 words (Oh my, I wrote a lot!)  
Avg. number of words per entry : 9,761 (I REALLY wrote a lot o.O)

Thanks for:

Gemelli: For the support and some ideas for a few chapters, thank you very much!

LeFox: For support and sharing ideas about Yoru, thanks!

Chi' azmo: For support and help with my grammar (my grammar horrible in the beginning).

Wohoo, I'll be 15 in July 24th!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Eiko Makimachi - July 2nd 2004.


	15. Finale

Dearly Beloved

By Eiko Makimachi

Dearly Beloved © Yoko Shimomura. Kingdom Hearts © Squaresoft and Disney Interactive 2002.

Yoru ® Eiko Makimachi 2003. All rights reserved.

Final Fantasy IX ™ Squaresoft 2000.

Warning: This story contains yaoi and shounen-ai implications, if you don't like it, go back to the previous page. Don't send me any flames about this, I have warned.

Yoru / Bakura belongs to Eiko Makimachi. All rights reserved.

Special warning to this chapter: This chapter has STRONG yaoi hints(no lemon, okay, still rated PG-13).

Chapter 15: Finale

"I must be dreaming with an angel."

Zidane was still astonished by the good news. Kuja was back to him, right in front of him. But then something came on his mind.

"What did you mean by 'leave with you', Kuja?"

"Well... People were saying that you might travel a bit... you know, they think that it would help your illness..."

Zidane laughed. "Silly ones. You are the medicine that I needed."

Kuja blushed a bit. "I see."

"Well, so, what now?" said Yoru

The genomes looked to him. "Now what?"

"Don't ask the same question!" said Yoru laughing. "I meant, what about your life, what will you two do?"

Kuja looked to the floor, thinking. "Hum... I know." He said, kissing Zidane deeply.

Zidane looked to him shocked. "Woa, Kuja, what's going on?"

Kuja smiled. "Well, we need to finish what we started when you broke up with Garnet."

Zidane blushed remembering that that night he almost did "that" with Kuja.

Yoru smiled. "So better leave you two alone. I'll speak with the queen. We owe her an explanation." He said as he left the room.

Kuja blushed a bit. "Hum... so?"

Zidane. "Well, you know that, don't you?"

The silver genome blushed even more. "Actually... no"

Zidane made a perverted face. "Kuja, don't tell me you are still virgin?!"

"Well, I did have something with Yoru, but it was only hugs and kisses, not something like that!"

Zidane put his hand on his forehead. "Goodness, no wonder you are all that holy guardian thing."

Kuja made an innocent face, laying his head on Zidane's chest. "What are you trying to say?"

The blond genome kissed Kuja's forehead as his tail wrapped around Kuja's, making the older one blush in surprise. Zidane's tail continued petting Kuja's, making the silver genome moan.

"Zidane, that's not fair!" he said.

"Why?" his brother asked.

"You know how my tail is..."

"... okay, don't need to keep the sentence." Zidane said.

Kuja was kind of embarrassed with the situation. But he let it go, it was what he was always dreaming.

Both genomes woke up next morning with his tails curled around each other. Zidane was the first to wake up, looking to Kuja with dreaming eyes. The sunlight was bathing both bodies gently. Kuja woke up after some minutes, blinking his amethyst eyes innocently. He brushed some hair out of his face and sat up next to Zidane.

"So, was that good?" Asked his brother nervously.

Kuja blushed a bit. "Ye..yes..."

"So get used, because I'll always want to do this, every night." The blond said.

Kuja's cheek burnt like fire. "Zidane, you perverted mind!"

The blond genome laughed as he helped Kuja wearing their clothes. Brushing his own hair, Zidane glanced again to his older brother.

"Kuja, don't you use make up anymore?"

The silver genome giggled. "No, I don't like it anymore... I prefer my natural face... like the way you like..."

At this comment Zidane blushed a little. Continuing combing his hair, he tied it back like always.

"You know, Kuja, I don't know if I should ask you that... but..."

"What?" asked the fallen angel.

"Would you.... would you...."

Silence

"Would you.... would you marry me, Kuja?"

That was astonishing. Simply surprising for him, or better, for both. Zidane covered his mouth, not believing that he had just spoken that word. Kuja stopped wearing his clothes, staring at nowhere wearing only his shirt. None moved, not even the birds outside.

Finally, a voice spoke.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said..." started Zidane.

But then Kuja interrupted him, placing his hand on his lips.

"I will."

That wasn't a dream.

"I will, Zidane Tribal."

Zidane was confused for those words.

"You will...?"

"I will marry you, Zidane Tribal!" Kuja said, jumping on Zidane's arms.

The next thing that happened was like a romantic movie. Zidane was crying with happiness. He helped Kuja putting on his clothes as his brother started combing his hair. They kissed each other sweetly but fast, blushing after that.

They went outside, only to meet Yoru looking at them smiling.

"I bet you two had a good night... and will have others like that." He said in a innocent way.

Kuja just blushed a little and continued his way. But as he passed by Yoru, he smiled.

"Don't be such a perverted, Yoru!"

The great day. Of course they didn't want a ceremony, but Zidane made sure to call all their friends. It passed one month since the first day Kuja stepped out of the Prima Vista, not knowing who was he, singing that beautiful song. The citizens of the other cities hadn't known anything about Yoru's attacks, although some people from Treno and Dali pointed out that they saw some dragons flying towards black clouds near Alexandria.

The ceremony was simple, yet, Vivi, Eiko, Garnet, Yoru, the Tantalus, who was in Lindblum sometime ago. All their friends were there.

"I can't believe Zidane is marrying him...." said Eiko, puffing her cheeks.

"Why?" asked Vivi innocently?

"Vivi, don't you see? He is marrying a MAN!!!"

Vivi looked confused to the summoner. What was kind of obvious, black mages don't have a female version, all were males.

"I still don't get it."

Eiko gave up explaining everything to Vivi.

On the other side of the little church, Garnet, Steiner and Beatrix were watching the happy couple. The queen, wearing her long, white dress, looked to them with kindness.

"Your Highness... you don't seem very happy..." said Steiner.

Garnet smiled. "I was just thinking.... I have waited for him for so much long... to find out that I don't love him that much..."

"I beg your pardon, my queen." Said Beatrix, not understanding Garnet's words.

"Is just... that I love him... but Kuja loves him more... Kuja loves him so much that he wouldn't be alive if it wasn't Zidane..."

"I see... So what are you going to now, your highness?" asked Steiner.

Garnet smiled again and looked to Zidane and Kuja again.

"I don't know... I feel that one day everyone needs to walk their own path... it's not a goodbye, it's a beginning, yet it's sad... Zidane and Kuja have already found their path... I need to find mine."

Back to the center, Kuja was wearing a strange outfit. It was like a long dress... yet it wasn't that feminine. On his head, a silver tiara. In other times someone would say that his outfit had something of magical. In our word we would say that his outfit had an elfish aura.

The weddings in Gaia didn't need a priest, as long as you have a witness. The ceremony is very complex and long. The groom needs to promise that he will protect and always be on with the bride, on life and death. The bride, on the other hand, has to kiss the grooms hand and give a present to the groom. There are other ceremonies, but they weren't needed at all.

Kuja kissed Zidane's hand and gave him a strange jewel. It was a silver pendant, with flowers adorned with amethysts and aquamarines.

"The amethyst are my eyes, as the aquamarines are yours. Stay with that pendant as long as you love me. When your love for me ends, do anything, but give me back that pendant so I can always remember you."

As he finished it, Zidane kissed him. The ceremony has ended and a new story was just beginning.

Every single minute

Every single tear

Every cup of tea

Every fight we had

Every shake of hand

For each flower petal that falls

We write a story

For every people that calls

We write a song

For each star that shines

We draw a picture

For all the falling snow flakes

We start a new adventure

Every single minute of our life

Is to be lived

Not to be wasted

Not to be forgiven

Yet, like the flowers that falls

We aren't perfect

Let you be foolish sometimes

Let you fancy some good times

Live every breath, every cup of tea

Every single minute of your life.

Kuja and Zidane were still living in Alexandria, although they had bought their own house and left the castle. One year passed, and the couple was living their life in peace. Yoru took all his things and moved to Alexandria as well. Kuja continued visiting Yoru every weekend. Everything seemed to be quiet and peaceful.

But it wouldn't last so long...

Kuja received a letter from Yoru. The calligraphy was horrible, unlike Yoru's perfect one. The Dark Guardian was acting strange lately, and was asking for Kuja to come visit him.

The genome stood in front of Yoru's house. He knocked several times, but no one answered. On the last attempt, the door opened, it wasn't locked all the time. But Kuja was suspecting that something was wrong.

He entered the house. It was a mess, Yoru's books were on the floor. The window as open and some leaves from the outside tree went in the house.

Kuja noticed that Yoru's room door was closed. He knocked.

"Yoru, are you in there?"

No one answered. But suddenly he heard a weak voice moaning. Kuja got scared, what's was going on with Yoru?

"Yoru, I'm going in, okay?"

Again, no answer. Kuja opened the door silently and entered.

Yoru was on his bed. His hair was a mess and he was pale as snow. He looked to Kuja weakly.

"Kuja... I need... to tell you something...."

The genome sat on a chair next to Yoru.

"Kuja.... I'm dying... " He said with a sad smile.

"How come?!" Said Kuja astonished. "You can't die, you are immortal! I myself hadn't aged much and I'm already on my early thirties!"

Yoru hold Kuja's hands and smiled innocently.

"I am immortal... but this body isn't... You have already died, Kuja, the body you have is yourself, not a vessel... but my body.... it's getting weak... my vessel is dying...." he said, closing his eyes.

"But... what will happen to your soul so?!" said Kuja.

Yoru took a deep breath. "I don't know... maybe just wake up in the same body like you did.... But Kuja..."

Silence.

"Kuja... I'm afraid... I don't know what will happen next...."

Kuja didn't know neither. Being the Light Guardian was still something very confusing to him.

"Maybe I'll loose my memories... I don't want it neither.... I don't want to forget you.... to forget Zidane... your lovely friends.... I don't want to..."

He stopped talking and closed his eyes. He couldn't talk anymore, it was hurting his throat. He took another deep breath.

Kuja looked to Yoru as he moaned again of hurt. He was suffering, Kuja knew it. He hold Yoru's hands until the end.

".... Kuja... can I... kiss you one last time....?"

Kuja blushed a little. He stood up and kissed Yoru softly. Then, finally, Yoru took a deep breath, his last breath.

"I love you... little brother..."

And everything died after that.

Zidane went after Kuja to Yoru's house. The door was opened, so he entered. He found Kuja looking to the bed.

"Kuja, what...?"

The silver genome continued staring to nowhere. He was still holding Yoru's cold hands. A single tear escaped from his eyes, falling on his knee.

"Zidane... he is dead... he died..."

"But... Kuja, wasn't he and you...."

"His body died.... The Yoru we know is gone..." Another tear fell on.

"... I'm sorry Kuja... " Said Zidane, hugging his brother.

"He said... that he was afraid... of not knowing what would happen..."

Both looked to Yoru's dead body. Kuja waited, waited and waited, expecting that suddenly Yoru's body would get warm again and he would wake up, like Kuja did when he revived. But he waited for hours with Zidane. Nothing happened.

It was midnight, when Kuja stood up, feeling dizzy.

"Are you ok, Kuja?" asked Zidane, worried.

"I'm not feeling well... I'm feeling sick... my stomach..."

Zidane helped Kuja. Yoru's body was still on the bed, resting peacefully.

"Zidane... I... I... I feel like something is inside me... and it wants to come out!"

The blond looked to Kuja confused. What the heck was going on?

"Ah... I want to throw up... I'm feeling sick...."

"Well, Kuja, if I didn't know that you were male, I would say that you were pregnant."

"Zidane... that's serious... I..."

Something strange happened then. Something was coming out of Kuja's back. Zidane jumped and tried to help Kuja, who was yelling in pain.

"Zidane!!! Aaah!!!"

The blond genome hold Kuja. So it was really something trying to come out of Kuja. The silver genome continued yelling.

"Zidane!!! Take it out!!! It's hurting me!!!"

Zidane tried to pull the "thing". Kuja couldn't stand anymore, the pain was taking control of him. He fell on the floor. Zidane continued pulling the thing. When finally half of it was out of Kuja, Zidane shouted in surprise.

"Kuja! It's a head!!!"

Kuja was too busy to hear Zidane's exclamations.

"I don't care what is it, take it out!"

The blond genome continued pulling the head out. After some minutes, the head of a child with black hair came out. Then, it's arms started to appear.

"Kuja, I don't know how, but you are having a kid and this kid is already in it's early 5 years old!"

"Aaaahhhh"

Zidane looked to the naked kid who came out. Then he looked again to Yoru's dead body. To his surprise, the body was vanishing. Looking again to the boy, he looked like a lot with Yoru. Same straight black hair. The only different thing was the black tail that was waving in front of Zidane.

Kuja opened one eye. He was tired, but got astonished when he saw the boy.

The boy opened his eyes. It were gold, like Yoru's.

"Where am I?"

Then the kid looked to Kuja. He opened a big smile and jumped on Kuja.

"Kuja, it's you!!!"

The silver genome looked confused to the boy. "Yoru?"

"Yeah, that's my name! I'm back!!!"

Zidane didn't know if he was having a dream or a nightmare.

"Wait, this is Yoru?!"

"Err... Yoru... have you noticed that you are in a new body?" asked Kuja.

The boy looked down. Noticing that he was naked he blushed. "Wait a second!"

After some minutes the boy appeared using one of Yoru's shirts as a tunic. He looked kind of funny like that.

"I'm a kid now?!"

"Hum... seems so." Said Kuja.

"And guess what? Kuja is your m-"

"Shut up, Zidane!!!"

"... mother?" continued Zidane.

Yoru sat down on the floor next to Kuja.

"Kuja, turn your back."

Looking to Kuja's back, he noticed that there was a little scar on it.

"Kuja, I reincarnated... from your body!"

"Seems so." Said Kuja really confused.

"So... I'm your son?"

"Seems so." Said Zidane.

"Oh my God." Yoru said before fainting.

Two years passed. Yoru was back, and he was living with Kuja and Zidane now. Kuja was still confused of what happened that night that the old Yoru died. Yoru, on the other hand, was still getting used that now he was only 7 years old.

Everything went back to normal. Of course they had other little adventures, like the day Yoru summoned a dragon in Alexandria and Kuja had to scare the black winged dragon from their house. But that would be another story.

"Zidane..."

"Huh, Kuja?"

"Will we live happy forever?"

"As long as I'm with you, I'll always be happy."

"Me too."

Author's note: END!!!!!!!!!!!! After an year, Dearly Beloved came to it's end. Later it can be moved to the R section, I don't know much about the ratings, so it's up to you, readers, to decide if it's PG-13 or R. No, you hentai bakas, there is no continuation with hard yaoi, get lost!!! But come to think of it... I don't think that Dearly Beloved was an easy story to be understood. Or written.

Every single minute © Eiko Makimachi. All rights reserved.

Hope you enjoyed this story.

Eiko Makimachi - 25th September 2004


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